KFC SuperCoach 2023: The Phantom’s top 50 fantasy draft rankings
Taking part in a KFC SuperCoach draft this weekend? To help you decide who to pick and when, the The Phantom has updated his top 50 player rankings for the final time.
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With all the pre-season action complete, here is the final edition of my Top 50 player rankings for 2023 – for new players, it will give you an indication of how a draft might play out.
THE CHANGES
After featuring in the role that made him a KFC SuperCoach powerhouse in 2021 during the practice game against the Saints, Jordan Ridley has made his way into the top 50. Bulldogs gun Tom Liberatore, who was only just outside the first list, has also made his way in after sending a reminder of his scoring power in a Josh Dunkley-less midfield. KFC SuperCoach defenders Angus Brayshaw – who will start in Melbourne’s back-six and not in the prolific midfield role after Christian Salem’s injury – and Harry Himmelberg the forward are out. In the other significant changes, I had to bring Max Gawn up after what he did against the Tigers – maybe Brodie Grundy won’t outscore him after all. Speaking of Dunkley, as a forward, he’s probably the player I’d pick after Rory Laird and Clayton Oliver now – and I wouldn’t argue against doing it earlier either. I already had Errol Gulden at 31 – you’re welcome those who took my advice at an earlier draft – but he’s been bumped up slightly, as has Rowan Marshall, Josh Kelly and Hugh McCluggage.
TOP 50 DRAFT RANKINGS
1. Rory Laird (Adel), Mid (2)
2. Clayton Oliver (Melb), Mid (February ranking: 1)
3. Josh Dunkley (Bris), Fwd-Mid (4)
4. Lachie Neale (Bris), Mid (3)
5. Touk Miller (GC), Mid (5)
6. Rowan Marshall (StK), Ruck (10)
7. Jack Macrae (WB), Mid (6)
8. James Sicily (Haw), Def (8)
9. Marcus Bontempelli (WB), Mid (9)
10. Jack Steele (StK), Mid (7)
With Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn – staples of the early first round in years gone by –missing from the top 10, despite what they did as a tandem against the Tigers, I’d be taking Laird and Oliver with the first two selections. I’m not really worried about what teammate Christian Petracca said about Oliver potentially playing forward this year, but is Laird safer? After another 32 disposals, 10 tackles and two goals, it’s hard to say no. Snap up Dunkley next, as clearly the best player of a shallow forward pool which falls away pretty quickly after the top-liners. Consider Marshall, who showed in the practice game he is more than ready to be the best KFC SuperCoach ruckman in the game, and Sicily among the other star midfielders with an early pick - they are my tip to finish as the top scorer in their respective positions.
11. Connor Rozee (Port), Fwd-Mid (11)
12. Sam Docherty (Carl), Def (16)
13. Tom Green (GWS), Mid (17)
14. Tim Taranto (Rich), Fwd-Mid (14)
15. Callum Mills (Syd), Mid (13)
16. Tom Stewart (Geel), Def (12)
17. Darcy Parish (Ess), Mid (18)
18. Andrew Brayshaw (Freo), Mid (19)
19. Tim English (WB), Ruck (20)
20. Max Gawn (Melb), Ruck (30)
Some might think 11 is too early for Rozee, but the Power young gun averaged 110 points per game in the run home last year, and he’s only getting better. He should be the second forward behind Dunkley in 2023 – although new Tiger Taranto won’t be far behind. I’m tipping Green to push the top-eight in the midfielder this year, so get on! English has recovered from injury and, given it’s hard to sure about a number of other rucks, his place as the Bulldogs’ No. 1 ruckman, without Stefan Martin around, is a big tick.
21. Jordan Dawson (Adel), Def (22)
22. Stephen Coniglio (GWS), Fwd-Mid (21)
23. Jack Sinclair (StK), Def (23)
24. Josh Kelly (GWS), Mid (26)
25. Brodie Grundy (Melb), Ruck (15)
26. Errol Gulden (Syd), Fwd-Mid (31)
27. Zach Merrett (Ess), Mid (25)
28. Christian Petracca (Melb), Mid (27)
29. Patrick Cripps (Carl), Mid (28)
30. Jarrod Witts (GC), Ruck (29)
Dawson and Sinclair would be nice gets around this mark, but I’d still be taking an F1 first. And maybe that’s Gulden, who I’ve bumped up five spots after his huge practice match performance. Before that game, I had the Sydney young gun ranked as the sixth-ranked KFC SuperCoach forward in 2023, hence is his place so high. His huge scoring ceiling matches his footy IQ – and Horse loves him. Kelly looks set to lead the GWS midfield with Green this year – as he should – so, given his scoring history, he warrants a pick in this stage of the draft.
31. Zak Butters (Port), Fwd-Mid (24)
32. Sean Darcy (Freo), Ruck (32)
33. Dylan Moore (Haw), Fwd (33)
34. Luke Davies-Uniacke (NM), Mid (35)
35. Bailey Dale (WB), Def (36)
36. Bailey Smith (WB), Mid (37)
37. Tom Mitchell (Coll), Mid (34)
38. Isaac Heeney (Syd), Fwd (38)
39. Sam Walsh (Carl), Mid (39)
40. Hugh McCluggage (Bris), Mid (47)
Moore will have to step up in the absence of Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara at Hawthorn and he posted some good numbers playing in the midfield late last year. At the Pies, Mitchell should return to the role he’s built to play at the coalface but can he push back past rising young guns Davies-Uniacke and Smith? Then there’s Walsh. He’s likely to miss the first few rounds, but his KFC SuperCoach scoring power would rank him much higher than this. Keep a close eye on the young Blue on draft night.
41. Jordan Ridley (Ess), Def (-)
42. Nick Daicos (Coll), Def (42)
43. George Hewett (Carl), Mid (44)
44. Tom Liberatore (WB), Mid (-)
45. Hayden Young (Freo), Def (41)
46. Izak Rankine (Adel), Fwd (45)
47. Noah Anderson (GC), Mid (48)
48. Adam Saad (Carl), Def (49)
49. Darcy Cameron (Coll), Ruck-Fwd (43)
50. Ollie Wines (Port), Mid (40)
Rankine booted 13 goals and averaged 96 points in a career-best eight-week stretch between Rounds 8 and 16 last year and he could add some centre bounces to his role at the Crows in 2023. I’m backing Young and Daicos to join the 100-point club in defence, while Noah Anderson is another young midfielder who could be set for a significant spike.
SLEEPERS: Harry Perryman (MID), Mason Redman (DEF), Sam Berry (MID), Nic Martin (FWD-MID), Jason Horne-Francis (FWD-MID), Ed Richards (DEF), Max Holmes (MID), James Rowbottom (MID), Jacob Hopper (MID), Luke Jackson (RUCK-FWD)
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