SuperCoach 2016: Jon Ralph’s first crack at his 2016 SuperCoach side

SUPERCOACH has been open almost a week, but our footy writers have been busy picking their teams. Today Jon Ralph tells us a little about his strategy and gives us a glimpse of his 2016 team.

YOU can’t win a premiership in Round 1.

And you will never win your Supercoach league if you pick a side that won’t improve much from Round 1.

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Of course it seems almost every Supercoach will select the likes of Darcy Parish and Sam Kerridge, players so cheap they have to rise in price.

But almost without exception my Supercoach strategy is about picking players with real upside.

It’s why you won’t see players like Scott Pendlebury and Todd Goldstein in my side.

What more do those stars have to give?

In a game with a salary cap, where prudent spending is the name of the game, I would much prefer to spend smart.

Even if that means taking a few players in the mid-300K price range, an awkward price in this game.

It’s why I have taken Matthew Lobbe, Jake Stringer, Nick Vlaustin and will consider Patrick Cripps as the season goes on.

The boffins who sweat over bubble boys and cash cows will always beat you if you pick the same side as them.

They are too fastidious, too tapped-in to price fluctuations.

I get more satisfaction from seeing a player like Nick Malceski bounce back and be a fixture in my side all year.

Ralphy hopes to see Nick Malceski ($383,800) bounce back this year. Picture: Getty Images

If you can lock a premium player in for only mid-300s, it’s a find.

That’s why Libba is a lock for me.

I think G Ablett will have a career year. He is desperate to bounce back from injury and prove a few of the doubters wrong

Patrick Dangerfield says Nakia Cockatoo is flying and that’s a good enough endorsement for me. And everyone will need the Mitch Browns.

Now, time to watch the NAB Challenge to see a couple of the kids flourish.

I’ll be back to finalise my squad then.