Best SuperCoach point-of-difference picks in the forward line
Patrick Dangerfield and Isaac Heeney are in most teams, but SuperCoach players are missing out on points by passing on these nine forward line stars. Here’s why they should be on your radar.
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With one absolute lock by the name of Patrick Dangerfield — already selected in 66 per cent of teams — variation in our SuperCoach selections has never been more crucial.
Add rookie Will Setterfield (57 per cent ownership) and blond bombshell Isaac Heeney (39 per cent) to that list, and a lot of forward lines this year are going to look very similar. Nailing your remaining selections on this line could make or break your side.
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The good news is there is a host of talented options available. And if you wish to look left-field from the average SuperCoach plenty, there is potentially a big reward.
Point-of-differences – or PODS – set your side apart from the rest, and can deliver valuable points that many SuperCoaches will miss (until they inevitably trade “your man” in).
Here are some of the forwards who have been largely untouched this SuperCoach pre-season:
PREMIUM PODS
Tom Hawkins $552,900 | 2018 average: 101.8 (20 games) | Ownership: 1 per cent
Hawkins was one of the shocks of the 2018 SuperCoach season. The star forward added 15 points on his previous year, averaging a career high 101.8 SuperCoach points. It sees the 30-year-old as the second most expensive forward behind teammate Patrick Dangerfield, and judging by his ownership, most think 2018 was a one-off.
But there is some merit in starting with the Tomahawk. The Cats play four of their first nine games at Kardinia Park, a venue where Hawkins posted all four of his 120-plus totals last season. Hawkins will remain the No.1 target in the Geelong forward line, with shades of the ‘Buddy factor’ creeping in in 2018. This will only bode well for his scoring. Considering his ability to take contested marks (sixth in the competition in 2018) and his accuracy in front of goal (60.29 last year), he can’t be ruled out.
Sam Menegola, $543,100 FWD/MID | 2018 average: 100 (22 games) | Ownership: 4 per cent
The forgotten man of the Cats midfield finds himself as a POD yet again despite back-to-back 100-plus averages. The Geelong tough nut was out of sight, out of mind after many coaches traded him out of their sides after two sub-80 scores to begin last season. He went on to make them pay, eclipsing the 120-mark three weeks in a row and averaging 103.5 SuperCoach points for the remainder of 2018.
Menegola wins his own footy, tackles hard and hits the scoreboard when forward – booting a goal a game last year. Gary Ablett’s new role as a permanent forward could see Menegola get even more midfield time, making the 26-year-old an option you can’t ignore.
Tom McDonald $529,800 | 2018 average: 97.6 (17 games) | Ownership: 3 per cent
McDonald shot into SuperCoach relevance in 2018 after transitioning from swing man to a full-time forward. The contested-marking machine finished sixth in the Coleman Medal despite missing the opening five rounds, averaging 15.5 disposals, 6.7 marks and 97.6 SuperCoach points. Jesse Hogan’s departure means Melbourne will rely on McDonald’s goalkicking even more. Likewise, Sam Weideman’s emergence as a leading target in last year’s finals series will see him stay close to goal.
With the Dees likely to pummel weaker opposition teams as their talented list continues to grow, expect more bags from T-Mac, who is one of the most accurate shots at goal in the comp, booting 76.27 over the past two seasons. Are you brave enough to start with the sharpshooter?
David Mundy $520,900 FWD/MID | 2018 average: 96 (22 games) | Ownership: 1 per cent
It seems ridiculous that we are still talking about Mundy as a SuperCoach option, but the Docker veteran continues to get the job done. The 33-year-old last year recorded his highest average since his career-best season in 2015, punching out 96 SuperCoach points per game. His finish to the year was simply superb, notching six tons from his final eight matches.
A picture of reliability and consistency across his career, teammate Nat Fyfe revealed last week that Mundy is set to return to the midfield to fill the gaping hole left by Lachie Neale – a change from his role closer to goal in recent seasons. One to watch with interest during the JLT Community Series.
Michael Walters $476,800 FWD/MID | 2018 average: 87.8 (18 games) | Ownership: 3 per cent
An injury-affected score makes Walters available in at a discount in 2019. The dynamic Docker suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of last year’s Western derby in Round 6, scoring just 12 SuperCoach points. Taking this score out of the equation, Walters averaged 92.2 points per game – now that looks better. After a season halted by injuries and suspension, has the potential to take his SuperCoach game to the next level.
There is more midfield time up for grabs with Neale’s departure and Walters, like Mundy, should reap the rewards. Has his been managing the knee which troubled him in 2018 over the pre-season, but if he is 100 per cent by Round 1, look out.
MID-PRICE PODS
Jack Billings $437,100 | 2018 average: 80.6 (21 games) | Ownership: 2 per cent
Sure to be on many “never again” lists after a torrid first half of 2018, Billings repaid the faith to the patient coaches who held him. A game in the VFL was the kick in the backside the 23-year-old needed, averaging 93.4 SuperCoach points per game from his last 10 games. There is no doubting Billings’ talent, and a $437,100 price tag is very appealing. Another pre-season under his belt and an array of mature bodies joining the club through the draft could see Billings produce the goods in 2019.
Kyle Langford $436,700 MID | 2018 average: 80.4 (16 games) | Ownership: Less than 1 per cent
Entering his fifth season, Kyle Langford looms as a breakout contender. Last year saw a massive scoring spike from the youngster, adding 22 SuperCoach points to his average from 2017. The 22-year-old spent extended stints in the midfield in the back-half of the season, averaging 86.8 points from his last 10 matches - including five 95-plus scores. Dylan Shiel’s arrival might not help his cause, but the natural progression of the big-bodied mid/forward should see average rise yet again. Remember, the Bombers’ handed him the treasured No.4 for a reason. Another to keep a close eye on in the JLT.
Tom J Lynch $425,600 | 2018 average: 78.4 (10 games) | Ownership: 5 per cent
Lynch has plagued those who took the punt on him over his past two injury-affected seasons, but he is a much more inviting proposition at Punt Rd. What a fit Lynch was able to produce at Gold Coast had Brisbane superstar Jonathan Brown labelling him the best player in the game in 2016. In that year, the former Sun booted 66 goals and averaged 93 SuperCoach points per game in a side that finished 15th on the ladder.
Imagine the possibilities at Richmond, with a lot more inside-50s and stars like Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin sending it in on a platter. He certainly didn’t have that at Gold Coast. One who could be anything this SuperCoach season.
Ben Ainsworth $333,200 | 2018 average: 61.4 (16 games) | Ownership: Less than 1 per cent
Ainsworth is a youngster who should thrive in a Gold Coast midfield devoid of experience. The 21-year-old spent most of last year in his usual small-forward role, but a five-week purple-patch in the midfield was a sign of what’s to come. Ainsworth collected 20 touches, six tackles and 89.6 SuperCoach points per game across this period, before inconsistency and injury curbed his influence.
Ainsworth has the makings of a SuperCoach beast — averaging an elite 133 SuperCoach points in the TAC Cup in his draft year — and 2019 might just be the year he explodes with extra midfield opportunity. If he does, he looms as an absolute steal.
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