KFC SuperCoach 2022: ‘Mr Cricket’ Mike Hussey names his to SuperCoach AFL picks

Mike Hussey has finished as high as 13th overall in KFC SuperCoach AFL. See the players he says you have to pick in 2022.

I’ve just landed in Surat, India for a training camp for IPL franchise the Chennai Super Kings.

I’m assistant coach of the team (get on us this year, we’ve got a great squad) but I’ve got to spend three days in hotel quarantine before entering the IPL Covid bubble.

That gives me plenty of time to think about my KFC SuperCoach team.

I didn’t catch as many of the pre-season matches as I would have liked so I’m going to watch some replays and make those crucial final calls.

Mike Hussey is going with underpriced Lion Jarrod Berry. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Some of the dilemmas I need to figure out include:

– Can I start four premium defenders? I’ve had four all pre-season but now I’m down to three, although I’m really worried about the lack of rookies in the backline.

– How many players priced between $180,000 and $300,000 is too many? I normally stick to the guns and rookies strategy so it scares me seeing so many players like Jarrod Berry, Will Brodie and Mitch Hinge in my starting 22.

– Could I get away with picking Braydon Preuss even though he’s suspended for Round 1? I really like the idea of a cheap second ruckman and he scored over 100 KFC SuperCoach points at the weekend. A rookie like Jack Hayes could provide cover for one week but it’s a huge gamble. My team looks a lot stronger with Max Gawn in it.

So there is plenty to mull over, and of course which rookies are selected in Round 1 will have a big impact on those last-minute selection calls. But there are some players who have been locked into my team since KFC SuperCoach opened and they won’t be leaving.

Defence

Lachie Whitfield ($502,600 DEF) just has huge scoring upside at that price, and Jayden Short ($535,200 DEF) is a player I had last year and was reasonably happy with his output and consistency. He could go to another level now Bachar Houli has retired.

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Gold Coast star Touk Miller. Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos

Midfield

Jack Macrae ($699,900 MID), Jack Steele ($685,800 MID) and Touk Miller ($677,800 MID) are all locked in – I just love watching Touk play.

I would love to get Clayton Oliver ($672,000 MID) as well but you can’t start them all. I’m hoping he has a bit of a slow start – maybe the Dees celebrated the premiership a bit too hard – and I can pick him up a bit cheaper. But watching the pre-season he was just so good, so that might be wishful thinking.

Lachie Neale ($543,200 MID) has to be in and both of the top-priced rookies Jason Horne-Francis ($207,300 MID) and Nick Daicos ($193,800 MID) look worth the money with good job security.

Ruck

Brodie Grundy ($627,100 RUC) is a bit underpriced for what he can produce and from all reports he’s coming off a great pre-season.

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Zak Butters is set to take his game to another level in 2022. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Forwards

Josh Dunkley ($558,200 FWD/MID) is one player who could really hurt you if you don’t pick him and he goes big. He could average 120 over the first month of the season.

Zak Butters ($443,600 FWD/MID) has had worries about his body, like all the attractive options around this price (Isaac Heeney, Jordan De Goey, Adam Treloar). But I love watching him play. He’s an amazing talent and his ceiling is so high if he gets off to a hot start his price could really get away from you.

And Stephen Coniglio ($261,300 FWD/MID) is the other one you just have to start, the price is too good to ignore.

I’ve got three days to finalise the other spots in my squad, and maybe find the cash to get Oliver in. Stay tuned to see my final team.

How Mr Cricket dominates KFC SuperCoach AFL

Calling time on your career as a professional sportsman doesn’t stop the competitive juices flowing.

Luckily, I have KFC SuperCoach.

I’ve been a footy fan my whole life, and an Eagles supporter since they joined the AFL in 1987. That often meant finding a way to watch games while on tour, and arguing with Queenslanders and New South Welshman in Australian teams about warming up with a game of touch rugby or a kick of the (real) footy.

I was initially drawn to KFC SuperCoach as a way to have some fun with my son and some of his mates.

The first couple of years I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but then the competitive juices started flowing.

I enjoy list management, which I have done a bit with cricket teams, and love the idea of having your own team that you can make changes to with trades during the year.

Mike Hussey has a kick of the footy with ex-Giant Shane Mumford during a promotion for the Sydney Thunder BBL team. Picture: Phil Hillyard

To start with I was only worried about our league but I probably understood the game and strategy better than 11 or 12-year-old kids and started focusing on overall rankings, which has been my focus for the past couple of years.

My best result was 13th overall – and that could have been even higher if I hadn’t backed Jack Macrae over Max Gawn as my captain in the final round. That call cost me a spot in the top 10 and my league grand final.

Getting that far involved a fair bit of luck, but here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way:

ROOKIES are the key, you have to get them right from the start. It took me a few years to figure that out. You need to prioritise getting the right rookies first.

I LIKE the ‘guns and rookies’ approach, I don’t like having too many mid-pricers in my team ... although this year I might have to modify my approach (see below).

DO YOUR research over the pre-season. Try to watch some matches to see players in action, and read expert advice. I also listen to some SuperCoach podcasts.

Jack Macrae rarely misses games and scores well in KFC SuperCoach ... usually. Picture: Michael Klein

I LOVE durable players. I hate having to trade out premiums because they’ve been injured, so avoid players with a history of getting hurt.

TRY not to be too emotional. Once I’ve locked into a player I stick with them, even if it can be frustrating at times. Last year I was tempted to rage trade Shai Bolton several times but held off which probably hurt me, but trades are so valuable you can’t afford to be using them every week.

This year I’m a bit nervous about a lack of rookies in defence, and I really don’t want to compromise my five premium midfield even though the rookies there look absolutely stacked.

As for the forward line, I’m not exactly sure where I’m going. There are a lot of low-price value options but also a lot of good players in the $450,000-$500,000 price range.

I’m resisting temptation at the moment, but let’s see how the next couple of weeks play out.

I’ll put my team out before the season starts so you can see where I end up. Good luck picking yours!

>> Play KFC SuperCoach now and start picking your team!

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2022: ‘Mr Cricket’ Mike Hussey names his to SuperCoach AFL picks