SuperCoach Slack: Pre-JLT Edition
With the preseason competition kicking off this evening, it’s high time that Paige Cardona and Andrew Weaver have a seriously look at where their Classic teams sit heading into the JLT Community Series.
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With the preseason competition kicking off this evening, it’s high time that Paige Cardona and Andrew Weaver have a seriously look at where their Classic teams sit heading into the JLT Community Series.
Chatting on Slack, the duo compared their players in common, those that were different, who they have their eyes on, and what their one big call is ahead of the JLT Community Series kicking off.
PLAYERS IN COMMON:
Rory Laird (DEF)
Darcy Moore (DEF / FWD)
Dylan Roberton (DEF)
Isaac Quaynor (DEF)
Sam Collins (DEF)
Clayton Oliver (MID)
Dayne Beams (MID)
Sam Walsh (MID)
Michael Gibbons (MID)
Darcy Fort (RUC)
Patrick Dangerfield (FWD / MID)
Isaac Heeney (FWD / MID)
Josh Dunkley (FWD / MID)
Aaron vandenBerg (FWD / MID)
Ben Cavarra (FWD)
Christopher Burgess (DEF / FWD)
PC: I’m really at odds as to what to do in defence. There is so much value on that line, but I’m also too scared to start without Lloyd and Laird despite both being priced at their top price. I just feel like it’ll be harder to trade them in, and they’re set and forget types … so … may as well start with them.
AW: I guess it depends on what you want — I have gone for some speculative picks in my backline, but for the most part it's where I'm most comfortable with seven of my eight selections, with Rozee the only quasi-uncertainty to start Round 1 of that grouping. In fact, it looks like the backline is where we have the LEAST in commonality at this point in time. So good to see you’re stealing my ideas, Paige — you’d never even heard of Aaron vandenBerg before he buried Dayne Beams in a tackle in the Dees-Pies scratch match! Are you confident in him as your F4? I know I am.
PC: Rozee i’m not 100% sold on yet. I am worried he’ll be a solid 60-point scorer but a player at that $123k price point could average the same and make me more cash. It seems like he’ll have good job security though. AVB had some very good SuperCoach figures last year in the limited opportunities he got. He is a hulk of a player and there’s a spot for him in best 22. I mean, Goodwin didn’t bring him in for finals for no reason.
AW: That's my theory with your boy Darcy Moore too — he looks like he'll be taking the kick-outs for the Pies this year, and with his intercept marking ability, he's a cheap Dual Position Player option to switch around in case of injury … either to others in the team or to his own 'strings once again.
PC: The fact that Moore is taking kick ins and has been given a licence to fly for those intercept marks and move the ball by foot from the back half makes him an pretty good option at that price point. Plus, if Burgess at the Suns can play early, who also has the DPP, then they’ll give us great flexibility. I am hoping that Fort gets the nod for the Cats. He’s a mature body, ready to go, and performed well in the SANFL last year. The Cats don’t really have a recognised ruckman, and we know Chris Scott loves to throw opportunity the way of his newcomers. I just need him to play the first three games until Mumford resumes, and he can go back to the pine.
AW: Another experienced trio we both have blind confidence in without any recent exposed AFL-level form are Collins, Gibbons, and Cavarra — it would seem certain that they'll all be there or thereabouts for Round 1. We've also both gone for Dangerfield, Heeney and Dunkley as our top three forwards — no love for Buddy for either of us despite his incredible history!
PC: I’m confident that Collins, Gibbons and Cavarra will all take to AFL like a duck to water. Collins has been in the system before, had one of the best individual seasons in the VFL that the league has seen, and is playing for a team that desperately needs experience. LOCK! Gibbons and Cav are two hungry footballers who’ve been waiting years for their opportunity. Their work rate is elite and the positions they’ll be playing make them SuperCoach friendly. I don’t hold any fears about those three whatsoever. You could make the same case for Brewley, too. How do you rate Dunkley? I know we’ve both gone with him pre-JLT, but I’m a bit worried if i’m honest.
AW: No, I'm not worried about Dunkley at all — I think those final six weeks of the 2018 season show that he can be a proven SuperCoach points scorer now, and it's reasonable to expect he'll be more of a midfielder in 2019, upping his scoring potential to hit that 100-point mark on a regular basis. Are you confident Heeney can do so too?
PC: Heeney played a fair bit forward last year and if he is playing a full year in the midfield, he’s going to find another gear. He’s a star, he can find the footy, importantly use it, but also he knows how to kick goals. Absolute must-have for mine.
AW: Speaking of 'must-have' players, of the players we have in common, is Dunkley the one that you have the least confidence in at this stage? For me it's Sam Walsh — the training reports have been raving, but there's a big difference between 'dancing with your sister' in intra-clubs and lining up opposite the likes of Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin, and Dion Prestia in Round 1. At over $200,000, do you see him as a risk? You talk about Rozee being a 60-point regular; could Walsh be the same?
PC: Yeah, there is definitely that factor, but Walsh is a natural footballer, an accumulator and I don’t think he’ll have problems finding the pill. Everybody got burned by Dow last year, a highly priced rookie who was spitting out 50-something scores. Walsh I think will be fine, he’s a different kind of No. 1 pick than what we’ve seen over the last few seasons. Big kid too. Did you see him in the Fox Footy corridors when the Blues came in for their headshots? Looks like a 200-gamer if I’ve ever seen one, and you know I can’t stand the Baggers!
DIFFERENT PLAYERS
RamPAIGE:
Jake Lloyd (DEF)
Zac Williams (DEF)
Callum Wilkie (DEF)
Patrick Cripps (MID)
Lachie Neale (MID)
Dustin Martin (MID)
Brett Bewley (MID)
Tom Sparrow (MID)
Nick Hind (MID)
Tom Atkins (MID)
Brodie Grundy (RUC)
Shane Mumford (RUC)
Jack Petruccelle (FWD)
Tom Wilkinson (FWD)
Won’t Win:
Lachie Whitfield (DEF)
Alex Witherden (DEF)
Brodie Smith (DEF)
Conor Rozee (DEF / FWD)
Elliot Yeo (MID)
Tim Taranto (MID)
Tom Rockliff (MID)
Tom Liberatore (MID)
Will Setterfield (FWD / MID)
Xavier Duursma (DEF / MID)
Ian Hill (FWD / MID)
Todd Goldstein (RUC)
Tim English (RUC)
Matthew Ling (FWD / MID)
PC: What are your thoughts on Rockliff this year? He hasn’t set the world on fire since crossing to Port, but ... at that price … he’s tempting.
AW: I just can't see how he's going to average less than 75 for two straight years — with the absence of Wingard and Polec, Boak playing more forward, Ebert rumoured to be doing the same, and Robbie Gray coming off a limited preseason ahead of the JLT Series (let alone Round 1), I think with a Break Even of sub-75 and an average of 104.5 against the Demons across 11 games, he will be back to his pig status before you know it. It's funny, you look at our midfields, and you've really stacked it with top-liners in Cripps, Oliver, Neale, Martin, and Beams, plus Grundy who is essentially another mid and SO pricey — how've you got any cap space left?!??
PC: You make a pretty good point about Rockliff. But I want to see his preseason form. If he delivers, he’s a hot inclusion into ramPAIGE. You’re right, I’ve gone pretty hard at the guns. There’s three players I am all about this year:
— Cripps — he is just an accumulator in a team who can’t win the ball
— Oliver — heard a little rumour he was only at about 50 or 60% last year with his shoulders. He’s had those worked on over the off-season and will find another level this year I reckon.
— Neale — Fagan will give him a licence to do whatever he wants. Ross Lyon is a SuperCoach killer, but the Lions are improving and Neale is the fifth-best midfielder in the game according to the Champion Data prospectus, and Fremantle left a lot to be desired last year. So, he’s a must-start for me.
AW: Yes, you know how I feel about Oliver, and for me it was a toss-up between he and Cripps and, hey, the heart bleeds true for the red and blue. You've also stolen my original plan of stashing Mumford on the pine on the presumption that Fort will play — I was only backing him in for the first two rounds, and Sausage's suspension for punching in the GWS-Swans scratch match has made me more reticent to do so; will you back him in if his suspension gets confirmed?
PC: It’s a really tough call that one. Good to see time out of the game hasn’t changed Mumford’s outlook on football, or our SuperCoach teams!
AW: I can’t believe the amount of kids you’ve got that I don’t — how do you see the likes of Wilkie, Sparrow, Hind, Atkins, Petrucelle vs. my rookie / cheapie picks of Rozee, Setterfield, Duursma, Hill, and Ling?
PC: Wilkie, Hind, Atkins are all mature-age players, and I’m all over those guys. Purely on the basis that their respective clubs have drafted them in for a reason, and that’s for them to play. Of all the rookies I’ve heard about this year, Petrucelle is one that keeps making the most noise. Eagles rate him highly, and with the retirement of the LeCras, there’s a spot for him. Has been exceptional this summer, and he’s cheap — so doesn’t feel like a massive risk. Sparrow I thought was pretty decent in the Pies / Dees hitout last week. His job security might be the reason to not select him thought. But, if he’s named Round 1, I’ll put him in my team. Obviously with JLT form pending, all of my rookies at this stage are merely placeholders.
AW: I'm the same, but the ones that are really blowing my mind at the moment is that a bloke who only scored less than 80 in two games, is priced at less than $600,000, and had 12 games of 110+ is only in six percent of teams. Step on up, Elliot Yeo. He didn't tempt you as a POD at this point?
PC: WHAT! He had 12 games of 110+? He’s a unique selection now that he’s lost his DPP status. That’s a great get, and I don’t think the Eagles are going backwards any time soon. It kind of seems like a bit of a changing of the guard this year. Ablett, Pendlebury, Fyfe and Selwood all have low percentage of ownership this preseason, while guys like Cripps, Neale, Oliver, Macrae and Kelly are being looked to as that new wave of premo mids. Yeo is certainly within that bracket, but in comparison to those, he’s been overlooked.
AW: I've got to admit, I'm still VERY tempted to get Ablett in — his best is still unbelievable, and for all the 'Ablett will play more forward this year' talk, it seems we hear that broken record every year and, like clockwork, there he is, in the guts, getting 35+ disposals in the first game of the season. Even if he does go forward, a couple of goals a game will more than make up for any lost points for possessions. The other one I think will really break out into a bona fide SuperCoach star this year is Tim Taranto — with Shiel gone, the opportunity is there for him to become a permanent mid.
PC: Taranto I think will have a massive year.. I just can’t commit to him. Will be an upgrade target for me. I want to see him prove himself as a top-eight midfielder by seasons end. I think he’ll ton up, but I’m really wanting to bring in those guys that have the ceiling for consistent 110+ games.
AW: We've both picked Roberton, but in terms of other defenders coming back from injuries, you've gone for Williams and I've picked Smith — what would you be happy to see Williams average at the end of the year, if you keep him all season long? I think Smith can go 90+, which both he and Williams have only achieved once before.
PC: I’d have Williams down for a 90+ average, and for a defender, that makes him a lock. Williams was the No. 1 ranked general defender before he went down. He is really, really good. Roberton’s recent hitout has him locked and loaded for mine. He was taking intercept marks at will and his disposal by foot has always been clean. Brodie Smith I love, but I just can’t fit him in. I’ve had to make some minor adjustments given I’ve opted for the ‘L Duo’ of Laird and Lloyd.
AW: Well you've only got yourself to blame for that, spending all that cash on Grundy.
PC: Worth it. He’s essentially a ninth midfielder and has nobody contending with him for the No. 1 ruck spot. I’d rather start him now than face the headache of trying to trade him in. He’ll cost you two trades to bring in! But, on the topic of rucks, have you thought about going for a budget approach on that line? Is it crazy that I’ve partially considered a lean line-up of English, Fort and Clarke? I mean … if all three play, there’s no problem. But I’m worried about the lack of security those three would present.
AW: Yeah, I contemplate it too — you could really save some cash to spend on other lines, and when the DPP options are fairly limited, you'll need regular scorers across all lines — I personally think English will lock away the #1 ruck role at the Dogs, and Fort is a good chance to do so at the Cats, so it's just a matter of whether Zac Clarke gets a run ahead of Bellchambers — currently 14% of players have him in their side, but it'd be interesting to know how many have him starting on-field versus as their ruck bench spot for coverage.
EYES ON THE PRIZE
PC: The return of Dylan Roberton will be a huge in for the Saints but importantly, my SuperCoach team. He starred in a recent intraclub match but I want to see him put it together throughout the JLT to solidify his spot in ramPAIGE. Before he went down with a heart scare last year, he was premo defender in waiting. I’m backing him in to return to his lofty 90-point heights.
AW: I’m very keen to see how Christian Petracca performs in the JLT Series; he looked like he played primarily as a midfielder against the Pies in the scratch match, but that was in the absence of the likes of Clayton Oliver, Nathan Jones, and Jack Viney. That last fella mentioned there is another that I’m keen to see how he goes in the second JLT Series match-up, if he plays.
ONE BIG CALL
PC: By the end of the 2019 SuperCoach season, we will no longer be calling Buddy Franklin relevant in Classic format of SuperCoach. That’s not to say he won’t be traded in by SuperCoaches at some point, however - he’ll no longer become a must-start player in our forward lines.
AW: Clayton Oliver to finish 2019 as the #1 ranked player in SuperCoach. He upped his kicking numbers significantly in 2018, and he’ll go to another level this season, and really start impacting the scoreboard on a regular basis too.
Originally published as SuperCoach Slack: Pre-JLT Edition
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