Champion Data reveals how players can score SuperCoach points when they are off the ground

CHAMPION Data lifts the lid on the curious SuperCoach scoring questions from Round 4 including why did Daniel Venables’ score increased after he hurt his ankle and what has happened to one-time SuperCoach star Tom Rockliff.

Tom Rockliff at Port Adelaide training. Picture SARAH REED

HOW can a player score SuperCoach points when he’s off the field injured?

It happened to West Coast rookie Daniel Venables on Saturday, and he isn’t the first.

Scroll down for an explanation as Champion Data lifts the lid on the unique SuperCoach scoring system and how it impacted our players in Round 4.

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HOW TO INJURED PLAYERS SCORE POINTS?

It’s not uncommon for a SuperCoach score to steadily increase once a player goes off injured and remains out of action for the rest of the match, as we saw with West Coast forward Daniel Venables on Saturday.

There are many variables that come into play, ranging from the state of the game at the time of the injury to what the player had done while he was on the ground.

Although there are 3300 ranking points assigned to every game, scores are rescaled at the end of each match to take into account when the game was at its closest. In blowouts in which one team leads the entire game, as West Coast did on the weekend, the rankings assigned in the opening quarter of the match will be scaled up at the completion of the match — as that is effectively when the game was won.

In the case of Venables, his second term was his most productive, collecting seven disposals and 36 points — more than half of his score for the match.

Tom Rockliff is yet to fire for Port Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed

TOM ROCKLIFF’S NOSEDIVE

Tom Rockliff is a shadow of the player he was at Brisbane. One of the great SuperCoach scorers — averaging 109 points a game since 2011 — is currently in the worst form slump of his career, averaging 12 disposals, four contested possessions, two clearances, two tackles and just one inside-50 entry.

He is averaging 44 SuperCoach points a game with two scores under 30 in four games, including 29 against Essendon on Sunday. Rockliff ranks 127th in the competition among permanent midfielders.

What’s going on? He has been starved of midfield time, spending 41 per cent of games up forward, ranking fifth at the club for his centre bounce involvement.

After starting in more than 9000 teams, Rockliff has been traded out by almost 6000 coaches since Round 1.

BACK THE BOUNCERS

Running bounces are a bonus in SuperCoach as it keeps the points ticking over. Each running bounce is worth two points, and the leaders in that category this year are Billy Hartung, Heath Shaw and Conor McKenna with 14 apiece. Popular SuperCoach picks, Shane Savage and Kade Simpson aren’t too far behind with 12 each.

LIONS’ GOAL DROUGHT

The scoreboard was Brisbane’s enemy in SuperCoach last round, as the Tigers piled on the opening 12 goals of the game before the Lions got their first through Dayne Zorko. At the time of Zorko’s goal, the margin has ballooned out to 74 points, subsequently his goal was worth only 5.4 points.

Cameron Rayner was Brisbane’s only other goalscorer at the 15-minute mark of the final term, with his goal earning him 5.4 points as well.

Eric Hipwood and Hugh McCluggage were the only two Brisbane players to record a score assist. Hipwood’s score assist was worth 3.28 points as it was recorded at the six-minute mark of the second term, while McCluggage’s assist was worth 4.77 points at that point in the match in the opening term.

Josh Unkley at Western Bulldogs training.

SLAM DUNK? DOG’S COSTLY FUMBLE

Josh Dunkley has proven a smart buy this season, averaging 88 after starting the season priced at $296,900. His 107 against Sydney was his best score, but it could have been more.

A dropped mark is a negative stat in SuperCoach and results in four points being deducted from your score. Magnifying the pain for Dunkley’s 5000 SuperCoach owners, his fluffed chest mark late in the final term came at a critical time of the game, resulting in a fall of five points from his score. Had he taken the mark and then converted the goal he would have earned close the 17 points — that’s a swing of 22 points in total.

STAT OF THE WEEK

No ruckman has scored more than 75 points against Melbourne this season.

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