Doctor’s Orders: Underperforming guns who should be on your SuperCoach radar

In the rush before this week’s early lockout, don’t forget to keep an eye on future trade targets — and the experts at Doctor SuperCoach say four proven scorers stand out.

Sam Menegola at Geelong Cats training. Picture: Nathan Dyer

With a short turnaround between rounds, it can be difficult to keep one eye on the future while also trading for the present.

Fortunately, the expert team at Doctor SuperCoach has put together a shortlist of some fallen and falling trade targets to look at in the coming weeks.

TOM McDONALD $360,200 FWD

The Dees big man has suffered the largest price drop in the game this season, falling an incredible $169,600 in just five rounds. His average of 49.8 points per game it is a far cry from his 2018 average of 97.6 points.

But the fact McDonald’s lowest average in his past four seasons was 85 — keeping in mind that three of those were as a defender — shows he has the SuperCoach pedigree to pique our interest.

So why are we really talking about “T-Mac”? In Melbourne’s only win this season, Tom was able to muster a season-high 80 points. While this may not appear significant, if the Demons are able to bounce back this season, it will have to come from a large improvement from McDonald.

With a break even of 96, expect his value to fall even further in the coming weeks. If his price bottoms out around $300,000, a sideways move from a rookie-priced player may be worth a punt – at worse, you will get a good bench cover player.

But buyer beware: The Demons will need to show signs of life before even considering jumping on T-Mac at his bottom price.

Tom McDonald averaged 97.6 SuperCoach points a game last season.

JACK DARLING $385,000 FWD

Eighty-six per cent time-on-ground for a score of nine points last week was the catalyst behind Darling’s price crashing more than $45,000 going in Round 6. With a break even of 126 and a game against Geelong at GMHBA stadium on Sunday, Darling will almost certainly continue to plummet in price.

The question is, even if he were to bottom out at $300,00, would Jack be worth jumping on? There are a few factors to strongly consider. First, Darling does not have the strongest scoring history, with only two seasons breaking a 77-point average, including a heavily injury affected 2018 campaign. Jack also shares the dreaded Round 13 bye, alongside Isaac Heeney and all of the premium Geelong forwards.

FANTASY FREAKO: JACK ROSS STATS YOU NEED TO SEE

MARKET WATCH: NO TIME TO WASTE ON TIGER ROOKIES

TRADE GUIDE: IS TIM KELLY THIS WEEK’S No.1 TARGET?

PHANTOM: SUPERCOACH TRADES ALL ABOUT TIMING

Lastly, while these may not be promising signs to select Darling, West Coast are clearly not playing anywhere near their potential and the reigning premier would be strongly backed to make rapid improvements and begin their ascent up the ladder.

For this to happen, the forwards will need to play better and therefore score more points. With a three game run of matches against Gold Coast, St Kilda and Melbourne in Rounds 7-9, expect Darling — who averaged 137.5 in a four-week stretch last year — to have an sharp uptick of form.

Two poor games could make Sam Menegola a SupeCoach bargain. Picture: Nathan Dyer

SAM MENEGOLA $463,100 FWD/MID

Yes, that’s right, Menegola, one of the most reliable players in SuperCoach, joins of the list of players that are dropping like stones.

Having already fallen $80,000 from his starting price and with a break even of 168, Menegola will likely reach a price range that he has not seen since bursting on to the scene in 2016. This is largely due to his back-to-back scores of 51 and 50, which seemingly came out of nowhere after starting the season with a 101, 70 and 115.

Why could this be? Menegola suffered an interrupted pre-season, which left him in severe doubt for Round 1. He managed to make the team and has played every game so far, but it is clear to see that Menegola is building his fitness and trying to rediscover his ball-winning ways, as he has slumped to a career-low in disposals with just 19 per game – down from 25,24 and 24 in the past three years.

He doesn’t appear to be suffering from a change in role, with Menegola running up and down a wing for most Geelong matches. With a super fixture coming up in which Geelong plays Sydney, St Kilda, Hawthorn, Carlton, Melbourne and Gold Coast in consecutive weeks, there is every possibility that Menegola can work his way back into form.

With his proven scoring history, including the past three seasons scoring at an average of 100 points per game, Menegola is certainly a bargain worth considering when he bottoms out at around $420k.

Justin Westhoff has been playing close to goal with Charlie Dixon injured.

JUSTIN WESTHOFF $392,200 FWD/RUCK

“The Hoff” started the season with a bang, kicking five goals in Round 1 and scoring a whopping 149 points. Since then, he has managed a measly four-game average of 51 points.

So what has gone wrong for Westhoff? A move forward due to Charlie Dixon’s injury, coupled with the inclusion of former Eagle Scott Lycett, has led to a lower scoring role.

Last season Westhoff was able to roam behind the ball, taking ruck duties when Patrick Ryder needed a rest. This led to a career-high SuperCoach average of 101 points per game, which followed a five-season run with a season-low average of 85 points.

Westhoff has missed just one game during the past six seasons, making him one of the most durable and reliable options that SuperCoach has ever seen. Given his past history, along with his dual-position status, Westhoff should be firmly placed on your watch list moving forward. He may not be worth selection in the short term, but once Dixon returns, The Hoff may be able to find a role in the Port Adelaide side that will allow him to score closer to his recent season averages.

Get more tips from Doctor SuperCoach here and listen to the team’s latest podcast below: