Jonathan Brown’s SuperCoach scouting has started and he has already locked a few players in

AFL great Jonathan Brown had the binoculars out last week as his SuperCoach scouting heated up ahead of the JLT Series. Who has Browny already locked into his SuperCoach team?

I’ll be putting the SuperCoach binoculars on Joe Daniher.

Like Melbourne’s housing market, Daniher’s price plummeted last year but all he needed was a refurbishment over the off-season to become a buyer’s dream again.

Daniher has not played since Round 7 last year and costs just $277,800. Like an opportunistic investor, I’m jumping back into the market.

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I’m hoping to see Daniher get heaps of match practice because the last thing to come for key forwards is their aerial judgment, and that can only come through flying hours.

Most key forwards look like they have bricks for hands early in the pre-season.

The new 6-6-6 rule should also provide cleaner centre clearances, giving key forwards like Daniher more space to work with.

Joe Daniher in action at Essendon training.

Sam Walsh is expected to debut in Round 1.

No.1 pick Sam Walsh cemented his place in my SuperCoach team last week.

I watched three of last week’s unofficial practice games - Blues-Hawks, Dees-Pies and Richmond’s intra-club - and Walsh’s performance was a highlight.

It was the most impressive “debut” I’ve ever seen from a first-year player.

The Carlton kid had composure under pressure, delivered the ball well, boasted good vision and looked tough.

He worked really hard aerobically, even though he would’ve been gasping. Melbourne’s Marty Hore is another cheapie in my team.

Hore read the ball well in the air against the Magpies, he kept his eye on it and also looked composed.

Dustin Martin impressed Jonathan Brown during Richmond’s intra-club. Picture: Michael Klein

At the other end of Olympic Park was Collingwood academy pick Isaac Quaynor, who looked like a 100-game veteran off half-back and will also be in my SuperCoach defence.

At Tigerland there was one key takeaway … Dustin Martin looked primed for another monster year.

After seeing Dusty live I’m more confident than ever that he’ll lead my SuperCoach team to glory.

He looked super fit and the “Don’t Argue” was wheeled out on his teammates, while his captain - Trent Cotchin - wasn’t far behind.

But don’t expect Dusty or Cotchin to break into top gear in the JLT games. When you’re older, getting through the games in one piece is clearly the most important objective.

The last thing you want is an injury. In 2008 I hyperextended my left knee going third-man up against Sydney in Canberra.

I missed a lot of training. I’d done the full pre-season and, while I played every game that year, I had this bloody left knee that was causing me problems.

When you’re young you use pre-season games to prove your worth. Coaches aren’t going to play you in Round 1 based on your ability in an under-18 competition.

Isaac Quaynor is put through his paces at Collingwood pre-season training.

They need to see something, and you need to feel that you can cope with the speed of the game.

You’re going to be out of breath no matter what. You’re probably going to feel like you’re running the last 200m of an Olympics marathon, no matter how fit you are.

But if you can cope with the speed and intensity elements that’ll give you and the coaches confidence that you can contribute in Round 1.

JLT games can be difficult, because senior players who know they’re a lock for Round 1 are trying to survive and young turks are trying to prove themselves.

But I didn’t find that out until my second pre-season.

In my first summer I was suspended for the 2000 Ansett Cup, with a striking ban carrying over from my final TAC Cup game.

Sorry, Leigh.