KFC SuperCoach 2022: The Phantom’s final team revealed

With just hours until the start of the KFC SuperCoach season, The Phantom has made two crucial changes to his starting team. See the full side here.

We’re just hours away from the first KFC SuperCoach lockout and I’ve made two significant changes.

The first was George Hewett for Jake Bowey in defence.

For the past two days, I’ve been settled, and I still am with most of it, but my bench rookie situation was a bit of a mess and I had no money left in the bank to deal with any last-minute surprises with the cheapies – and big names.

So the extra cash helped me get Paddy McCartin on-field, alongside Mitch Hinge, and still leave me with money for all of the right rookies.

But then the Crows confirmed Jordan Dawson will play on Sunday after overcoming a calf injury.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE PHANTOM’S FINAL TEAM

You know how much I love him – he was in my side all summer until the setback.

The good thing is, I have the money to turn James Sicily into the gun Crows recruit and still keep McCartin.

I’ll just need another basement-price rookie to play – along with all of the other ones I had already picked.

But, if required, I could revert back to Sicily – if he isn’t one of the two first-choice Hawks in health and safety protocols – and spend more on the bench.

Jordan Dawson will play his first game for the Crows on Sunday. Picture: James Hetherington/AFC Media

Sometimes boring in KFC SuperCoach isn’t a bad thing.

The popular players are popular for a reason. We don’t spend all summer narrowing the shortlist for nothing.

So if you sprinkle in some of your own flavour, in the form a few unique picks across every line, don’t stress if you’re team looks a little similar to others.

That’s what I’ve done.

Darcy Parish and Sean Darcy, and now Dawson and Bowey, are all in 12 per cent of teams or less.

DEFENCE

Jack Crisp (Coll) $571,000, Mid
Jordan Dawson (Adel) $550,300

Lachie Whitfield (GWS) $502,600, Mid
Jake Bowey (Melb) $265,600
Mitch Hinge (Adel) $180,900

Paddy McCartin (Syd) $157,800, Fwd
BENCH: Sam De Koning (Geel) $123,900, Fwd, Bodhi Uwland (GC) $102,400, Mid

I’ve come to the realisation that Giant Lachie Whitfield is almost too cheap to pass up and Jordan Dawson’s calf injury created an opening. His ceiling is as high as any KFC SuperCoach defender, and we’ve got the extra trades if he finds another way to get injured. But now I’ve got both, with the Crows recruit a confirmed Round 1 starter. If you haven’t just come to pot me hours out from the season-opener, you will know I’ve been big on Dawson for a while. Crisp averaged 110 points from Round 8 onwards in a big finish to last year, as he floated through the Collingwood midfield, and he hasn’t missed a game in his seven seasons at the Magpies. Good kicking is good KFC SuperCoach and Jake Bowey proved that again in the AAMI Series, after tallying 19 disposals and 80 points in his first final - and fifth career game - last year. Christian Salem is back but Trent Rivers and Michael Hibberd are still missing from Melbourne’s defence. He’s a pure money-making, on-field option, whereas you probably need Hewett to be a keeper at $400k. Sam De Koning will play for the Cats in Round 1, but Bodhi Uwland will be my non-scoring-player loophole.

Does Darcy Parish have another level to go to in 2022? Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

MIDFIELD

Jack Macrae (WB) $699,900
Jack Steele (StK) $685,800
Darcy Parish (Ess) $621,300
Lachie Neale (Bris) $543,200
Matt Rowell (GC) $342,900
Jason Horne-Francis (NM) $207,300
Nick Daicos (Coll) $193,800
Dylan Stephens (Syd) $167,800
BENCH: Brady Hough (WC) $117,300, Jake Soligo (Adel) $117,300, Ned Long (Haw) $102,400, Fwd

The midfield looks pretty similar to my pre-AAMI Series team, with Matt Rowell the only big inclusion, replacing breakout candidate Caleb Serong at M5. As much as I like Serong as a player, you’re picking him as keeper at that price. At $342k, Rowell’s potential cash generation is likely to justify his starting selection alone. But, after back-to-back KFC SuperCoach tons in the pre-season, I’m tipping he might be more than just a stepping stone. He’s pushed Jarrod Berry out, though, which I don’t love, given the value in the injury-plagued Lion. But I want to go with the four big guns, including Parish. Given he was only a bit-part player through the middle in the opening month last year and still averaged 114, along with his enormous ceiling, I think the star Bomber, who is in eight per cent of teams, can be a 120-point man very soon. I’m currently willing to overlook the tag and returning teammates concerns because he might just be, simply, too good for any of it to matter. Brady Hough and Jake Soligo are confirmed Round 1 debutants but the inclusion of Dawson means I’m a bit short in the final midfield bench spot – we’ll see who and what pops up over the next few days. Dylan Stephens and Hawk Josh Ward ($180k) switching at M8/M9 is another thing I really like, and something that might come into the picture if I reverted back to Sicily.

Sean Darcy scored 95 KFC SuperCoach points from just two kicks in the AAMI Series. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

RUCK

Sean Darcy (Fre) $642,600
Brodie Grundy (Coll) $627,100
BENCH: Hugh Dixon (WC) $102,400 Fwd

Sadly, after the suspension, the Braydon Preuss R2 dream is over. But with Flynn still in the picture, maybe it was always going to be a nightmare, anyway. So back to my original combination it is. I’m tipping Brodie Grundy to return to his best and, if last year’s scoring and the 95, on the back of two kicks in the AAMI Series, is anything to go by, Sean Darcy could be about to take over. Yes, he finds away to cop a knock, but I’m happy taking the risk.

KFC SuperCoach 2022: The Phantom's final team

FORWARD

Josh Dunkley (WB) $558,200, Mid
Adam Treloar (WB) $483,200, Mid
Zak Butters (Port) $443,600
Stephen Coniglio (GWS) $261,300, Mid
Will Brodie (GC) $224,300
Josh Rachele (Adel) $184,800, Mid
BENCH: Nick Martin (Ess) $102,400, Jack Hayes (StK) $102,400, Ruck

I said all along if Justin Longmuir picks Will Brodie, I will pick him, too. And, after two impressive pre-season matches, the signs are good. He comes in at the expense of Lion Cam Rayner. The only other change is Jordan De Goey out and Adam Treloar in. After two pre-season KFC SuperCoach tons, and two in the finals last year, the Bulldogs gun is close to the only other forward option you can be sure about hitting a three-figure average, behind Josh Dunkley, Mitch Duncan and Zak Butters. He might not get back to his 110-point days but he doesn’t need to in this year’s KFC SuperCoach forward pool. Josh Rachele should be on your field and we’re all praying Nick Martin and Jack Hayes get named.

I’m starting with 12 premiums, plus Rowell and Coniglio, who all also have premium scoring potential.

Let’s, you know what, go.

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2022: The Phantom’s final team revealed