KFC SuperCoach 2021: All the pre-season whispers and mail from training, practice matches
Popular pick Will Phillips being overlooked at North Melbourne was a shock to KFC SuperCoaches. But there’s some positive rookie news. All the latest whispers.
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It pays to stay across the pre-season whispers at every AFL club before selecting your KFC SuperCoach team, especially with intra-club and practice matches in full swing.
From injuries and positional changes to Round 1 bolters and rookie chances, here are the latest talking points three weeks out from the season opener at the MCG.
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RUDE SHOCK WITH TOP DRAFTEE OVERLOOKED
KFC SuperCoach players tuning into the Kangaroos’ practice match against St Kilda on Thursday to see Will Phillips ($198,300 MID) in action received a rude shock.
Phillips, the No.3 draft pick who features in more than 40 per cent of KFC SuperCoach teams, was left out of the Kangaroos team.
“We’ve got a couple of guys who have performed a little better ... we have got Tommy Powell in, Charlie Lazzaro and Ed Ford,” coach David Noble told the Herald Sun.
“There’s a fair bit of competition in that midfield, so we’ve been working on a few things with Will (Phillips), but we’re really happy with where he’s at.”
Alarm bells!
But it’s promising news for SA ball magnet Powell ($153,300 MID), who has earned comparisons to a young Tom Mitchell.
Charlie Lazzaro ($117,300 MID) is a contested ball-winner from the Geelong Falcons while Eddie Ford ($117,300 FWD) adds some X-factor up forward.
Popular mid-price option Ben Cunnington ($439,800 MID) was also missing as he overcomes a minor concussion, but Noble says he’s very happy with the veteran’s pre-season and is in no doubt for Round 1.
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WILL LIONS MIDFIELD DEPTH PUSH NEALE OUT?
The last thing KFC SuperCoaches want to hear when paying top dollar for a premium is doubts over their fitness or role. At $721k, Lachie Neale is a safe bet to finish as a top-six midfielder come season’s end.
But those who want to overlook the Brownlow medallist and try to get him cheaper have been vindicated in recent weeks. Neale’s pre-season was initially slowed by a calf issue, although he’s back with the main group now.
The greater issue might be the extra depth Chris Fagan has at his disposal. Of course, Neale will be one of the main men in the engine room. But Fagan has flagged Zach Bailey, Cam Rayner and Charlie Cameron to play in the middle this year. Reports this week suggested that could mean Neale spending time at halfback. More alarm bells.
KEY BLUE HINTS AT ‘50-50’ SPLIT WITH WILLIAMS
A “50-50” mid-forward split is the last thing KFC SuperCoaches wanted to hear about boom Carlton recruit Zac Williams. The Blues have teased Williams will play in his usual halfback role when not deployed in midfield but speaking to Fairfax Media, teammate Jack Martin hinted at a different role.
“It’d probably be 50-50, depending on how the game’s going,” Martin said.
“He’ll go forward, I’ll go midfield. We’re just building that little combination I guess.”
A halfback switch would be much friendlier for Williams’ KFC SuperCoach prospects.
Those fears were allayed slightly when Williams was part of Carlton’s first-choice midfield set-up alongside Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh in Thursday’s trial against Essendon.
DAVIS: GIANTS’ YOUNG RUCKS ARE READY
Defender Phil Davis says Shane Mumford will be more of a break-glass-in-emergency option for GWS this season as the Giants entrust Matthew Flynn and Kieran Briggs to fill the void left by Braydon Preuss’ injury.
Preuss has been ruled out for up to five months after a shoulder reconstruction, leaving Flynn, Briggs and Mumford as the options Leon Cameron has for Round 1.
“I think Mummy is probably right there, we don’t want him to ruck,” Davis told SEN SA.
“That was a bit like last year when. We had a few moments last year where he took a fair bit of load through the ruck. We’ve got some nice young rucks. I think Matty Flynn is the one for me who I think is really ready...if not young Keiran Briggs is chipping away too. He’s one of the most athletically-gifted players I’ve seen in terms of power and strength.”
DO WE BELIEVE GIANTS’ SOCIAL MEDIA TEASES?
Tim Taranto as the main man in midfield? Lachie Ash on kickouts? Tom Green a certainty for Round 1? We often enjoy the work of GWS’ media team and their release of some new GIFs for 2021 caught the eye of plenty of KFC SuperCoaches.
Fans were invited to ask questions and receive a reply in the form of a GIF and the thread was filled with KFC SuperCoach-relevant teasers. Here’s a couple we enjoyed. Although it should be said, the Giants left fans with this warning: “don’t take yourself too seriously”.
https://t.co/7c8lgs2hrqpic.twitter.com/LtJC3u64f1
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) February 22, 2021
https://t.co/SlviHcLf2spic.twitter.com/TL3yqzSeyh
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) February 22, 2021
GWS HOPEFUL ON STAR’S ROUND 1 CHANCES
It might be worth putting Lachie Whitfield back in your Round 1 plans.
Whitfield was expected to be out for at least the first few weeks of the campaign due to a bruised liver. But the latest injury update from western Sydney suggests he’s tracking beyond expectations.
“Lachie’s back at the club and starting to build up his training,” GWS head of medical Cullan Ball said.
“It was a fairly significant injury so he’ll continue to progress as he’s medically cleared to do so. He’ll miss the practice match and AAMI Community Series and we’ll see how he’s tracking ahead of round one.”
At $561k, Whitfield is priced well below his potential output.
WHO ARE DOGS ROOKIE BOLTER, SPP ROOKIE?
There’s a fair chance you hadn’t heard of Lachlan McNeil, a 102k KFC SuperCoach midfielder, before he staked a Round 1 claim with an impressive showing against Hawthorn in a trial game. The Western Bulldogs youngster averaged 78 ranking points in the SANFL last season after being overlooked in the 2019 draft, despite posting some impressive numbers.
McNeil averaged 20 disposals and 95 points at the national under-18 carnival and posted scores of 205 and 186 in his two non-injury-affected SANFL under-18 games in his draft year.
The only knock is his job security has to be a question mark in a stacked Dogs side.
Footscray’s 2019 VFL best and fairest Anthony Scott has also signed a senior deal after averaging 88 ranking points in 18 state league games two years ago.
TIGERS ROOKIES WORTH ATTENTION
A team that has won three flags in the past four years, and is gunning for another one, isn’t usually looking to blood a lot of young talent.
But some injuries could create opportunities for largely unseen Richmond rookies early this season.
Dion Prestia (hamstring) and Bachar Houli (calf) are both likely to miss Round 1 and there are a host of youngsters waiting in the wings ready to grab their chance.
Skipper Trent Cotchin described Thomson Dow ($146,100 MID) as “exceptional” in the Tigers’ intra-club game last week and his jaw dropped watching some of the things Maurice Rioli Jr ($117,300 MID/FWD) can do.
“He is electrifying. He has got a lot of talent, a lot of those Rioli traits but he is also his own person,” Cotchin told the Herald Sun.
“There have been a couple of times where he’s had to chase-down tackle where someone quick has got the footy and even he makes up five or 10 metres.”
Rioli played for the ‘B team’ but 2019 draftee Hugo Ralphsmith ($123,900 MID/FWD) lined up for the A side and kicked a nice goal.
The biggest surprise could be mature-age ruck recruit Samson Ryan ($117,300 RUCK) who was plucked from country footy in Queensland on draft night but might be called on to help Toby Nankervis in the ruck. At one stage the 206cm beanpole took a handball from Dustin Martin ($541,600 FWD/MID) running through the centre square and hit a leading Tom Lynch lace out.
But the standout on the track has been Dusty, who even laid a couple of run-down tackles - not something we normally associate with the September specialist in February.
YOUNG HAWK A LOCK AS MIDFIELD ROOKIE
We might have one less midfield rookie to worry about after Connor Downie ($117,300 MID) impressed coaches and onlookers - again - in Hawthorn’s practice match win over the Bulldogs.
Downie, taken at No.35 in last year’s draft, lined up on a wing and didn’t look out of place among senior company, with his penetrating kicking a standout. He also took a courageous intercept mark.
The departures of Isaac Smith and Tom Scully have created a vacancy on a wing and Downie is ready to fill it.
There were promising signs from other Hawks recruits, too.
Ex-Magpie Tom Phillips ($402,600 FWD/MID) will play a key role in the midfield at least until Tom Mitchell returns, and former Crow Kyle Hartigan ($314,300 DEF) looks set to take over James Frawley’s role at full-back - but don’t pick him in SuperCoach!
Changkuoth Jiath ($266,500 DEF) was lively off half-back - maybe Gilbert Gardiner was on to something when he included him in his seven must-have picks this year back in January.
Small forward Tyler Brockman ($117,300 MID/FWD), pick 46 in last year’s draft, laid some strong tackles and is one to watch if he holds his spot for Round 1.
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FRESH ROZEE CONCERNS
A few days before Port Adelaide’s official intra-club match, Connor Rozee told The Advertiser his foot felt “as good as it’s felt” since he injured it Round 7 last year. He then went out and booted six goals in a midfield-role at Alberton Oval.
But in the same interview with KFC SuperCoach Hipster Matt Turner, Rozee, given the nature of last year’s injury - a partly torn plantar fascia - conceded he might need to be managed at some point in 2021.
“The weird one about that injury is you can’t really do anything about it other than pretty much just rest and let it heal itself,” Rozee, who took time to rest the foot over summer, said.
For KFC SuperCoaches, the starring performance in that game pushed the fears those comments raised aside.
But they haven’t remained hidden for long, with the 21-year-old flying to Sydney on Thursday to see a specialist, before returning for Port Adelaide’s captain’s run on Friday morning.
He will play against the Crows on Saturday but, after football boss Chris Davies confirmed Rozee has a “new joint issue in his foot”, how will he be managed from here?
It’s a situation 11 per cent of KFC SuperCoaches need to keep an eye on.
Connor Rozee out at captains run after going to Sydney to see a specialist on foot injury @superfootypic.twitter.com/cJDcC2VBeh
— Simeon Thomas-Wilson (@Simeon_TW) February 25, 2021
CD: Connor Rozee has a new joint issue in his foot. We’ll need to manage that moving forward, but as you saw today he was moving well at training. He will play tomorrow #pafclive
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) February 26, 2021
The other big question mark at Port Adelaide is Lachie Jones ($139,800 DEF).
There’s no doubt he’s ready, but is there a spot in the Power’s strong back-six?
“He’s built like he belongs out there already and I dare say he’ll feature pretty early in the season,” Ollies Wines said recently.
Captain Tom Jonas echoed his deputy, throwing Jones’ name up as one to impress him over summer and one who should ‘feature at some point this season’.
There’s no talk of Round 1 in either of those statements, but no club is giving away their best team just yet.
And when the sides switched after half-time in the intra-club match, Jones found himself in the ‘best 22’ team and earnt praise from SANFL coach Matthew Lokan.
“We saw today some of his power and ability to get out of traffic is AFL standard,” Lokan said post-match.
KFC SuperCoaches will find out more over the coming weeks but it’s important to have back-up plan sorted if you’re structure features Jones - or any other rookie-price defender - on field.
DOUBLE DOCKER DELIGHT?
Following a standout summer on the track, impressing teammates with his “unbelievable” left foot, Hayden Young’s KFC SuperCoach popularity is growing.
The second-year defender ($279,400 DEF), who averaged 129 points in his draft year and posted scored 109 in his third senior game last year, was a standout in Fremantle’s recent intra-club match, playing a quarter-back role.
“It’s good to see Hayden Young back, he had an interrupted year last year. He’s a high quality player who’s only going to get better the more he plays,” Fremantle assistant coach David Hale told 6PR radio in Perth.
And, in another big tick, Young, whose ownership is up to seven per cent as KFC SuperCoaches look for alternatives to the shaky rookie-price options, took plenty of kick-ins. Watch for him to do the same against the Eagles on Saturday.
Q2 | Chappy with the rundown, evade and release âï¸ #foreverfreopic.twitter.com/3r6wCwAqbO
— Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) February 19, 2021
He wasn’t the only young Docker to earn praise this week, though, with top pick from last year’s draft, Heath Chapman ($148,00 DEF) also making a strong case for Round 1.
“He came in as a first-round pick who looks right at home. His ability to read the ball in flight and roll off his opponent and back himself in the air is something that we’re really excited about,” Hale said of the No. 14 pick.
Teammate Mitch Crowden was also impressed, telling the club’s website “Heath looks like he’s been there for three years” post-match.
Fremantle has plenty of tall stocks in defence but the 18-year-old was a standout in the air across half-back, while also showing his agility and clean hands at ground level.
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2021: All the pre-season whispers and mail from training, practice matches
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