KFC SuperCoach: 11 things you need to know for AFL Round 19
From scoring head scratchers to Covid drama, Round 18 had everything for KFC SuperCoach. These are the stats which can give you an edge this weekend.
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As KFC SuperCoaches scramble to replace Dustin Martin and fast run out of trades, thousands are in for one of the most challenging run homes in history.
The Covid drama which forced Toby Greene and Callum Mills into isolation had a flow-on effect for KFC SuperCoach teams and provided a tease of what is sure to be a crazy sprint to the finish.
There are still many ways to gain an edge even if you’re low on trades, which is the beauty of KFC SuperCoach plus.
Key stats help nail your captaincy, get your on-field rookies right and ensure you nail those crucial late-season trades.
Read on to find out the best stats secrets for Round 19 to boost your chances of success.
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1. Teammate Shai Bolton and St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall are the most-popular Dustin Martin replacements. Bolton ($420k) will net a $26k profit by ‘downgrading’ Martin and should be set for greater midfield time in the run home. Bolton posted 107 points against Brisbane Lions and his score would have been higher if not for three free kicks against. Marshall continued his dominance against Port Adelaide with 127 points and has a three-round average of 107 — ranked seventh in forwards (in a list which includes injured Swan Sam Reid). Marshall will cost $18k in an upgrade from Martin but is a great addition if you have RUC-FWD swing at R3 via a player such as North Melbourne’s Jacob Edwards.
CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST DUSTY REPLACEMENTS HERE
2. Could Trey Ruscoe be a late-season bolter for the second year in a row? The young Magpie featured in four games from rounds 10-13 last year and was a popular KFC SuperCoach downgrade due to his DEF-MID status. He’s only listed as a FWD this year but looked at home across halfback against Carlton, tallying 23 disposals at 83 per cent efficiency and 107 KFC SuperCoach points playing across halfback. His price jumped by almost $29k to $199,500, which might put some coaches off. But if you’re still holding Callum Coleman-Jones, you could cash in and hope Ruscoe’s strong showing in defence wasn’t a one-off.
3. Hawk Lachie Bramble could be the ticket to a final upgrade for many KFC SuperCoaches after making another $69k. Bramble’s price soared to $291,700 after a score of 91 against Melbourne and would have been higher had he played on from each of his five kick-ins (he only played on from three). Bramble’s break even is -36 and KFC SuperCoach Plus projections suggest he will make more than $50k again this round. His is tipped to reach about $360k after Round 20 when you could cash in for a profit of more than $250k, although he’s providing more than handy bench cover.
4. While the Round 19 fixture is still up in the air, Marcus Bontempelli’s record against his scheduled opponent Adelaide makes for ominous reading for non-owners. Bontempelli has a career average of 131 against Adelaide and monstered the Crows last season, amassing 199 points despite some attention from Ben Keays. Bontempelli’s price has dropped from $709k to $619k in the past three rounds and KFC SuperCoach Plus projections suggest he will be about $600k next week.
5. Max Gawn hasn’t enjoyed his usual KFC SuperCoach dominance in the past two months and hasn’t scored more than 103 points in his past four games. However, his record against Melbourne’s next opponent Gold Coast Suns will have owners bullish. Gawn is likely to ruck against Chris Burgess and has a career average of 127 points against the Suns. He has posted 153, 109 and 148 in his last three matches against Gold Coast. Teammate Clayton Oliver also averages 127 points against the Suns.
6. Dayne Zorko might finally be affordable in coming weeks for those who have had to watch the Brisbane Lions skipper’s career-best form with envy. Zorko scored below 90 for the first time since Round 4 against Richmond, posting 74 points largely due to a kicking efficiency of 38 per cent. He also registered 0.3 from five shots at goal, so his output could have been much higher — again. His price is $604k but he has one of the highest break evens in the game at 180 and is projected to fall by almost $35k this week.
7. Don’t have Jack Steele in your KFC SuperCoach team? You might want to change that quickly. The St Kilda co-captain has the second-best five round average in the game (141.2) and a crazy projected three-round average of 146. Only Freo ruckman Sean Darcy, who is under an injury cloud after hurting his knee against Geelong, is ahead of Steele in both categories. St Kilda takes on West Coast, Carlton and Sydney in its next three games and Steele scored 122 or more against those three opponents last year. His $694k price tag is a lot to pay but he’s the form midfielder in KFC SuperCoach.
8. Round 18 debutants Sam Durham (102k DEF-MID) and Connor West ($102k MID) are the top rookie targets of this week. Durham made an impressive start to his AFL career with 11 disposals and five marks against North Melbourne, tallying 49 KFC SuperCoach points. He has the added advantage of being DPP if you need to swing Rory Laird, for example, into your midfield, or use Trent Bianco who is also DEF-MID. Mature-age Eagle West scored 71 points on debut, recording 19 disposals, four marks and four tackles against Adelaide. Weigh up whether you need the DPP before deciding whether to downgrade to West or Durham.
9. Sometimes you don’t need big possession numbers to accumulate KFC SuperCoach points. Alec Waterman is a good example. The Essendon forward tallied 57 points from only nine disposals against North Melbourne despite going goalless. Waterman had two tackles and seven score involvements but, perhaps most tellingly, recorded zero negative acts. He scored 19 points from his five contested possessions and 9.5 points from score assists. A look at the basic stats sheet sometimes isn’t enough to work out a KFC SuperCoach score and Waterman's scores of 66 and 57 in the past two weeks have been handy for those left to rely on him at F6 due to injuries.
10. It’s always hard to find a point of difference for KFC SuperCoach league finals. KFC SuperCoach plus shows Tom Liberatore (1.4 per cent) features in the fewest teams of any player averaging more than 100 points per game. Ben Keays (2.0, 101.2 average) and Luke Parker (2.5, 105.4) are also attractive for POD hunters, while the in-form player of KFC SuperCoach Sean Darcy is only in 2.8 per cent of teams. Now, that is a serious POD considering his recent form (three-round average 177.3), although owners will be sweating after he went down with a knee injury against Geelong. More on Darcy’s dominance below.
🚨 CORRECTION
— Azza (@azzajewell) July 16, 2021
Best 3 Rd #SuperCoach combined score:
Jonathon Brown - 613 (Rd 7-9, 2006)
Chris Judd - 551 (Rd 5-7, 2006)
Matthew Richardson - 542 (Rd 19-21, 2006)
Sean Darcy - 531 (Rd 16-18, 2021)
Thanks to @Cruiser24 for pointing out, totally missed the inagural 2006 season 😬 https://t.co/DohamT2Z8z
11. Dockers ruckman Sean Darcy’s three-round points tally of 531 is believed to be the best recorded in 15 years. Darcy has amassed 193, 183 and 156 points in the past three rounds, a stretch in which he has averaged 35 hit-outs, 21 disposals, six marks and six clearances. Darcy owners will have rocketed up the KFC SuperCoach rankings in recent weeks, especially compared to those with Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy. Darcy’s points tally from rounds 16-18 was 234 points more than Gawn and 177 more than Grundy. Darcy is now the most expensive player in KFC SuperCoach at $710k, $95k more than Grundy and a whopping $152k more than Gawn. The only concern for Darcy owners is a possible knee injury, although the Dockers have been optimistic he will feature in Round 19.
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Originally published as KFC SuperCoach: 11 things you need to know for AFL Round 19
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