Doctor’s Orders: Hidden gems to power your KFC SuperCoach finals run
SuperCoach finals are here — what’s your plan to advance to week two? The experts at Doctor SuperCoach have found four players with a great run home who can set your team apart.
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After a year full of ups and downs, we have finally made it to the KFC SuperCoach Finals! Due to the messy Round 15 bye, the playoffs will be played over four separate rounds – 14, 16, 17 and 18.
For those wanting to get the edge against their league opponent, it is important you have some great PODs (point of difference picks) who can offer you a unique scorer, without compromising the safety of a popular choice.
This week in Doctor’s Orders, the expert team at Doctor SuperCoach look deeper into some hidden gems who sit in 3 per cent of teams or fewer, despite being fantastic scorers. What all four of these players have in common is they have a kind run of match-ups in SuperCoach finals which can further elevate their scoring potential.
Note that some of these players have a bye in Round 15 which may impact overall rankings, but that could make them even more unique when facing off in a sudden death final.
STEPHEN MAY $432,100 DEF – 87.8 average
Upcoming Opponents: St Kilda, Sydney, Fremantle, GWS, Essendon
This suggestion may come as a shock, but there’s a very good case to bring in this big key defender into your side. After a poor start to the year where he scored three scores in the 60s, May has bounced back into the form that made him premium-level scorer back in 2016.
The Demons restructured their defence after a poor start to the year and began using May as a distributor when rebounding out of their defensive 50. This increased freedom led to him being the designated kick-in taker who has the license to take the game on at any given opportunity.
His thumping boot has been put to good use and he ranks elite in key areas including disposals, effective kicks and metres gained, which has led to a SuperCoach scoring boost. In his past nine games May has gone below 90 on just the one occasion, and with a string of easier opponents you can expect him to keep up this good run of form.
TOM ROCKLIFF $504,100 MID – 97.8 average
Upcoming Opponents: Sydney, BYE, North Melbourne, Essendon, Collingwood
When the name Tom Rockliff comes to mind you go one of two ways; you reminisce about that 2014 season where he averaged 132, or you get flashbacks to one of the biggest burn men in recent years! Every year Rocky seems to tempt a few people to bring him in, and this year is no different.
After a poor start to this season, Rockliff found himself on the outer at Port Adelaide and it wasn’t until the first set of byes that he earned his spot back in the team. Since returning in Round 9, he has averaged just shy of 110 which has been spearheaded by an increase in possessions to go along with a drastic increase in tackling.
Rockliff is one of those players who performs well in games that Port Adelaide wins, and with four bottom-10 teams on the horizon, it is reasonable to assume some big scores are coming his way. Across the past three seasons, Rocky has averaged 20 more points in wins than losses. With Dan Houston set to miss the next couple of games, his time spent in the midfield will be high and there is no reason why he couldn’t continue this current run of form.
SAM MENEGOLA $572,600 MID – 103.8 average
Upcoming Opponents: Western Bulldogs, BYE, Essendon, Richmond, Sydney
Menegola is one of the most under-appreciated scorers in KFC SuperCoach history. Even when he was forward eligible, he always seemed to be a POD, despite proven results!
This year however, Sam has taken his game to the next level and is enjoying a very fantasy-friendly role. He has played as a wingman that floats back into defence to provide support, but also has the uncanny knack of getting forward and impacting the scoreboard. Menegola is currently averaging over 21 disposals a game, and this includes four intercept possessions and two scoring shots per game, which highlights the versatility that he possesses.
This season Menegola has had 11 100-plus scores which shows his consistency and is much improved from years past. Combining this with his high ceiling, where he has scored above 150 twice, you have one of the deadliest scorers in the game.
MORE SUPERCOACH ADVICE:
TOM HAWKINS – $602,500, FWD – 109.3 average
Upcoming Opponents: Western Bulldogs, BYE, Essendon, Richmond, Sydney
Without a doubt, Tomahawk is the best forward in the game today. His size, strength and athleticism are unrivalled which makes him borderline, undefendable. Much like how he sneaks under the radar in real life, he also does the same in KFC SuperCoach.
Where do we start with this guy? He averages 12 disposals per game and leads the competition in both goals and assists. Looking into the stats, he averages over 2.5 goals a game, 7.5 score involvements and 1.2 assists. These numbers are unbelievable in shortened quarters, and it’s not hard to see why he averages almost 110.
Hawkins is the No.2 forward in terms of average but for some reason is in just 3 per cent of teams. With a solid run of games remaining, grabbing this man for your final series will provide an elite point of difference.
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