Josh Kelly, Patrick Cripps loom as ideal SuperCoach captaincy choices for Round 21
ANDREW GAFF is gone and some usually-reliable SuperCoach stars face daunting assignments in the final rounds. DAN BEGALA looks at who you can turn to as crunch time nears.
Supercoach
Don't miss out on the headlines from Supercoach. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE market was bursting with activity over the weekend with several household names producing season-high dividends just when we needed them.
They were the gamebreakers and the players that absolutely flipped your qualifying or elimination final on its head.
Josh Kelly. Brodie Grundy. Lance Franklin. They’re the real MVPs.
RAGE TRADES: DUMP THESE STARS NOW
THE PHANTOM: TOP GAFF REPLACEMENTS
Among their heroics, however, was a major “gaffe” that is sure to deliver SuperCoach ramifications and serves as a timely reminder to preserve trades and retain flexibility in your investment portfolio.
Our resident expert, Daniel Begala, casts his investment lens across the final sprint towards SuperCoach immortality.
GAFF’S GAFFE
The West Coast ball magnet is done for 2018, so if you’re one of the 16 per cent of coaches who boast his services, it’s time to sever ties.
With only three rounds to go, it’s safe to assume that most coaches are short on trades and, importantly, liquidity.
His price point, $517K, will most likely thwart a direct “upgrade” to the red-hot Josh Kelly ($599K) so in order to preserve a trade for Rounds 22 and 23, it’s essential that you look elsewhere for greater value.
A trade in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Top of the SuperCoach Investor’s list is Matthew Crouch ($518K, av 101), Joel Selwood ($466K, av 105) and Marcus Bontempelli ($464K, av 101) who are all exceptionally valued and may generate additional cash flows (by “downgrading” Gaff) for your remaining trade decisions.
It’s important to note that Joel Selwood — a historically high performing blue-chip stock — has a penchant for flourishing in the tail end of seasons, and this year should be no different with his final two fixtures scheduled for GMHBA Stadium against cellar dwellers Fremantle and the Gold Coast.
With the Cats’ season hanging by a knife’s edge, we could be in for some vintage Selwood antics over the next three weeks.
Get on board!
GAME BREAKERS
Finals football is where legacies are made, unforgettable memories are created and champions of our game are crowned.
For the second year running, The Begala Brigade has been lucky enough to be on the positive side of the ledger for a Buddy Franklin (178) master class that single-handedly turned the tide of many league match-ups.
It was déjà vu (of Round 23, 2017) and his performance reiterates the importance of boasting a well-balanced team with a hint of flare and uncapped scoring potential.
The star of the show, however, was the Rolls Royce of the GWS engine room, Josh Kelly, who piled on a double ton and hammered the final nail into the coffin of the significant portion of coaches — 75 per cent — who don’t own him.
With the Blues quickly becoming a scoring Mecca, it would be remiss to overlook the likes of Lachie Neale ($547K), Jack Macrae ($551K) or Matt Crouch ($517K) who each — respectively — boast fixtures against a tiring Carlton.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
We’ve been a little lazy of late with the odd couple, Tom Mitchell and Max Gawn, serving as the perfect solution to our weekly captaincy conundrum.
Simple as that, right? Wrong.
The Cats have floated the possibility of tagging Mitchell this week, so if he fails and Tony Olango’s services remain unwarranted, it may prove fruitful to look outside the square for that captaincy advantage.
The option that stands out in the eye of The SuperCoach Investor — other than Kelly — is the young bull, Patrick Cripps, who will fly the flag for Carlton in the final fixture of Round 21.
The West Australian native is untaggable (forget it, Bailey Banfield) and the Blues will arrive charged with desire to atone for their woefulness last Sunday.
I’m no fortune teller, but I sense a 150-plus could be on the cards.
Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >
Bargain watch: AFL Trade period SuperCoach specials
It’s never too early to start planning 2025 SuperCoach success, and the trade period has delivered some potential steals. Here are the names and numbers you need to know.
AFL obsession to NBL addiction: How SuperCoach hooked me on hoops
I hadn’t watch the NBL since the Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal days. Now I’m taking my son to United games and watching Phoenix on Kayo because of one reason.