Doctor’s Orders: Are Jack Darling, Sam Menegola and Justin Westhoff bargains or traps?

You can get him for almost $150,000 cheaper than his starting price and fresh off a 132, so is Jack Darling the SuperCoach buy of the year? The experts from Doctor SuperCoach analyse the numbers.

Jack Darling stands on the mark during a West Coast Eagles training session.

SuperCoach is a complicated game. There are traps and bargains out there and unless you have a crystal ball, picking the out-of-form players just prior to a return to form can be just as easy as winning the $50,000.

The experts at Doctor Superoach are here to try to weed out the contenders from the pretenders.

Below are three out-of-form forwards who are threatening a return to premium scoring levels, but which one do we trust?

SAM MENEGOLA $419,400

Avg: 81.9. Break even: 60. Saving on starting price: $123,700

There are very few guarantees in this unpredictable game, but it seems Menegola averaging 99-100 is one of them. In the three seasons that Menegola has played, his career average hasn’t deviated by more than one point from an average of 100, which brings us to this season.

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Sam may be playing a slightly different role due to Tim Kelly’s ever increasing midfield minutes, but having been moved to a wing shouldn’t slash his average by 20 points. While Menegola has dropped his disposals per game from 24 to 20 and his tackles are down from four to two, it has been his ability to hit the scoreboard that could be the underrated cause of this slow start. After averaging a goal per game in his first three seasons, Menegola has hit the scoreboard on only three occasions in his opening seven games this year.

Despite scoring his third ton of the year last round, we still require an uptick in Sam’s three main statistics this season, hopefully resulting in some increased production. At this stage of the season, with Geelong missing Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield not playing at 100 per cent and Gary Ablett offered a one week ban, it is incredibly hard to judge Menegola’s season to date, making him a very risky trade in option.

JUSTIN WESTHOFF $402,300

Avg: 78. Break even: 36. Saving on starting price: $147,200

After a “breakout season” at the ripe old age of 31 in 2018, Westhoff has not started this season in a similar fashion at all. Last year was the only year Westhoff was able to average over 100 in his 12-year career, however, despite this, “The Hoff” is currently looked at as a fallen premium option.

The fact that he has missed just three games in eight years can only help his case, coupled with the fact that he can cover an injured ruckman with his forward/ruck dual-position status. Westhoff boasts an average of just 78 points per game so far this season including scores of 39, 47 and 49, but he has also posted 149, 92 and 108, with the latter two coming in the last fortnight. So is The Hoff back?

Justin Westhoff posted his second-highest score of the year against Collingwood.

The return of Todd Marshall to Port Adelaide’s forward line has seemingly given Westhoff a bit more freedom to find the ball across the ground. However, similar to the other forwards in this article, Westhoff scores well when he kicks goals.

It’s difficult to tell whether losing the ruck duties to recruit Scott Lycett is the main reason for his scoring drop, or whether it was his lack of goals in those poor games, however with a career-high average of just 101 points, this seems a risky pick no matter how you spin it.

A swap from Reilly O’Brien to provide ruck and forward cover later in the season is probably the best way to utilise The Hoff this year.

JACK DARLING $322,600

Avg: 66.9 | Break even: 35 | Saving on starting price: $149,100

Darling is a confidence player and, until last season, wasn’t particularly a SuperCoach relevant player either. However, from Round 1 through to Round 10 Darling was averaging 111 points, before finishing the season averaging 62 from Round 10 onwards.

Before Darling’s most recent score of 132, he was averaging 56 points in 2019. The “why” is obvious, as Darling kicked almost half of his season tally for goals, and the same amount as the last four rounds combined, just against Gold Coast.

Jack Darling returned to form in style against Gold Coast.

West Coast hasn’t been in stellar form in the past three weeks, but the most enticing reason to consider picking Darling comes with their upcoming fixtures: St Kilda, Melbourne, Adelaide, Western Bulldogs and Sydney leading in to the Eagles’ bye.

Darling’s confidence will be up and should put up some good scores, but where does trading Jack Darling into your SuperCoach sides leave you? A trade down, unlikely to make $150,000 and without a long-term keeper in your forward line. Pass unless desperate.

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