SuperCoach AFL Head 2 Head: Grundy / Nankervis vs Gawn / Goldstein
If you can't afford both Grundy AND Gawn in SuperCoach, which ruck should you pair with a premium?
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If you can't afford both Grundy AND Gawn in SuperCoach, which ruck should you pair with a premium?
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WHO:
BRODIE GRUNDY | COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES | $708,200 | 130.5 avg. in 2018
TOBY NANKERVIS | RICHMOND TIGERS | $533,000 | 98.2 avg.
Vs.
MAX GAWN | MELBOURNE DEMONS | $692,100 | 127.5 avg.
TODD GOLDSTEIN | NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS | $548,000 | 101.0 avg.
Few ruckmen have had SuperCoach seasons quite like Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn in 2018 — but how on earth can you possibly afford both in 2019? With their combined salaries, over a tenth of the entire $10m salary cap would be pushed into two players being part of your squad — sure, they’re good players, but are they THAT good?
It’s far more likely that most SuperCoach players in 2019 will roll with either one or the other, but not both … at least initially. The issue with ruckmen is that it is, arguably, the hardest position to trade into when needs be — it’s not like you can simply upgrade from a lower-priced ruckman to one of these super tall, super athletic, super high-scoring SuperCoach stars without costing you elsewhere on the field; they both begin with prices in excess of $120,000 more than their next closest ruck rival, Brisbane Lion tall Stefan Martin.
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So why not pair one of them with Martin? Well, for starters, the likelihood is that he’ll be partnered in the Lions’ line-up with Archie Smith in 2019, limiting his potential scoring output. The knock on Gawn is that Braydon Preuss will likely limit his points-scoring capability, but given that the inclusion of Mason Cox didn’t seem to bother Grundy’s scoring capacity, and that Preuss is starting the season on the sidelines, would the former Kangaroo really hurt Gawn’s scoring potential?
So, for this Head 2 Head examination, we’ve paired the two bona fide ruck superstars with ruckmen who, in all likelihood, will lead the charge for their sides without much assistance — last season, Toby Nankervis was helped by Mitch Grigg, while Todd Goldstein’s sometime cohort Majak Daw will miss a fair chunk of at least the first half of the season.
In terms of salary cap management, the combination of these players equates to about the same — $1,241,200 vs $1,240,100 — while their combined averages from 2018 are similar as well — 228.7 vs 228.5 average points per game. The big query is around whether or not Grundy and Gawn can match their 2018 heights, and whether Nankervis and Goldstein can surpass their scores from last season.
Grundy’s 2018 was one out of the box — he had never averaged over 100 points per game prior to last year. By comparison, Gawn’s 2016 year saw him hit 118.5, with his 2017 year ruined by a nasty hamstring strain. So, in terms of bankability, it could be argued that Gawn has the edge over Grundy, simply by dint of exposed form — he’s the only one of these two super highly-priced premium ruckman to average in excess of 100 points per game in three seasons, having also averaged 102.1 in 2015 in his breakout season, albeit from only 15 appearances.
Inclusive of every year since 2011, Goldstein has only averaged less than 100 points per game on two occasions — the first in 2012 when he averaged 93.1, and then in 2017 when he averaged 94.8. His high-water mark remains 2015, when he was clearly the dominant ruckman of the competition, averaging 128.8 — better than Gawn’s best year, last year, and only just behind Grundy’s 2018 season. Since leaving Sydney and arriving at Richmond, Nankervis has had two very solid years, averaging 88.8 and then 98.2 in consecutive seasons. Can he go up a further 10 points per game in 2019?
MORE SUPERCOACH NEWS
FORWARDS Forward Breakout Contenders / Best Value Forwards / Premium Forwards
RUCKS Best Alternative Rucks / Premium Rucks
MIDFIELDERS Breakout Midfielders / Mid-Priced Mids / Best Value Midfielders / Premium Midfielders Analysis
DEFENDERS Defensive Breakout Contenders & Mid-Pricers / Best Value Defenders / Premium Defenders Analysis
ANALYSIS JLT 1 Highlights / JLT 1 Concerns / JLT 1 Scores / Pre-JLT Rookie Bible / A-Z Guide to SuperCoach
OUR VERDICT: It’s very hard to split these pairings, and the combo of Maximus Gawnius and Goldzilla has served us well in the past … but this really is a toss of the coin decision! I’m going with Gawn / Goldstein … at the moment.
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Originally published as SuperCoach AFL Head 2 Head: Grundy / Nankervis vs Gawn / Goldstein
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