KFC SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom’s Round 7 review and trade advice
Stephen Coniglio has been down on his own high standards but his form is turning. The Phantom looks at all the numbers from his Round 7 performance and why the Giants skipper is a KFC SuperCoach bargain.
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Assembling a war chest of cash in KFC SuperCoach is easy. Making the most of your money is the hard part.
But the question of whether trading Marc Pittonet to Max Gawn is worth the money isn’t the only to come out of a big round Round 7.
EXPLAINER: HOW SUPERCOACH WILL CHANGE IN ROUNDS 9-12
Is one game enough from Stephen Coniglio?
Considering he’s unlikely to be worth less than $550k, let alone less than $510k, for long, I think it is.
Especially given it wasn’t just one ordinary game.
With scores of 103 and 97 in the previous two weeks, the Giants skipper had bounced back somewhat from the 49-point performance – when he played as a permanent forward – against the Magpies in Round 4.
But against the Lions in Round 7, Stephen Coniglio the KFC SuperCoach star was really back.
“My performance over the past few weeks hadn’t been up to my own level or expectation, and probably that of the coaches as well,” Coniglio said this week.
“I knew it would only be time until that turned around, but the turn around to try to get a win, for me, is more important.”
GWS may have lost but Coniglio’s return to form was a win for owners - and non-owners - in KFC SuperCoach.
The 26-year-old was back to his ball-winning best, recording season and game-highs in disposals (27), contested possessions (15), clearances (9) and KFC SuperCoach points (141).
Coniglio’s numbers were on the back of the 26-year-old attending 21 centre bounces, his highest tally for the year.
With the Giants injecting the likes of Tom Green and Jye Caldwell into the centre square this year, Coniglio was used forward, given his offensive attributes. But Saturday’s performance reaffirmed his position as one the Giants’ most-influential midfielders.
And Toby Greene’s likely return will only help his case.
Just be aware GWS share a bye with Sydney in Round 12.
Is one game enough from Sam Mayes?
In his first game for the Power, after being traded from the Lions at the end of 2018, Mayes was very good, finishing with 17 disposals – at 88 per cent – and 115 points against the Blues. It was a polished display from a skilful player, capped off with a pin-point pass to set up Robbie Gray for the match-winning goal. The No. 8 pick from the 2012 draft, who was named as an emergency 17 times before making his Port Adelaide debut, struggled during his final year in Brisbane, playing just six games but he averaged 80 KFC SuperCoach points from 21 matches the previous season. Injuries to Ryan Burton and Steven Motlop may help his job security but, despite the price of $213k, I’d like to see if he can back it up. If he does, however, Mayes, who has a Round 8 breakeven of -27, could provide terrific on-field coverage while you’re upgrading the rest of your side, even at $250k.
Is it worth spending $370k to upgrade Marc Pittonet to Max Gawn?
It’s a question which will divide KFC SuperCoaches.
Given the form of the Melbourne big man, the answer seems obvious.
After Sunday’s huge performance against the Hawks, Gawn has now posted scores of 184, 141, 163, 153 and 188 since the restart. Those numbers give him an average of 166 points per game since Round 2. In fact, he’s only 73 points behind Lion Lachie Neale, despite playing one less game.
And his Round 8 breakeven will again be in the 120s, meaning the $800k mark is within reach.
But that’s a lot of money to spend in anyone’s book.
Unless you have assembled a huge war chest of cash, trading Pittonet to Gawn is likely to exhaust your funds, possibly leaving a rookie on the field elsewhere for another week.
Sure, you could argue Gawn’s score against a struggling Stefan Martin in Round 8 could make up for it and the star Demon is as safe as KFC SuperCoach options come
But there is still a case for spreading your money.
Are you talking about Tim English, Phantom?
Yes, and to a lesser extent Todd Goldstein.
After Friday night’s huge 204-point performance, the Western Bulldogs ruckman will be worth $600k in KFC SuperCoach. And with a low breakeven this week – and, most likely, next – English will shooting past the $650k mark very soon, bringing him into the picture as a stepping stone selection to get to Gawn.
But with scores of 120, 145, 125 and 105 before the weekend, he’s a great R2 selection in his own right. He isn’t Gawn – and his high scoring might not be as consistent – but the first KFC SuperCoach double-ton of the season proves he has a similar ceiling.
So, if opting for English means you can upgrade another rookie in, say, the midfield, ask yourself this, will the English-premium midfielder combination outscore Gawn and the rookie?
It’s very likely.
Maybe.
I think.
What about the fixture?
That’s a good question. Gawn won’t have another bye but the Bulldogs will play through the next block of fixtures with English likely to be up against Ivan Soldo (Richmond), Peter Ladhams or Scott Lycett (Port), depending on Lycett’s injury, Stefan Martin (Bris) and Reilly O‘Brien (Adelaide) in the four games following Thursday night’s clash with Jarrod Witts and the Suns.
Did Pittonet play on Sunday?
Another good question.
What’s up with Patrick Cripps?
Definitely not his kicking efficiency, that’s for sure. The Carlton skipper had a team-high 21 disposals in the loss to the Power but hit the target with just one of his seven kicks. It was one of the big factors in another sub-par performance, with Cripps’ 85-point score his third of less than 90 in the past four weeks. Largely on the back of 56 points in Round 6, Cripps’ price has fallen to a staggeringly-low $520k, more than $100k less than his starting price. Keep a close on the contested-ball star, who will come out of this slump.
And Devon Smith?
When the game was in the balance on Friday night, Smith had little impact. A handful of late disposals and a goal saved him from a complete KFC SuperCoach disaster but his form – four consecutive scores of 71 or less - is a big concern. He might not be the top-six forward many thought he’d be but an 83-point average for $335k is hardly a disaster. And there are bigger issues to worry about. But if Smith’s form hasn’t improved once you’ve dealt with your on-field rookies, it might be time to pull the trigger.
Can we wait another week on Bailey Smith?
He won’t be this cheap again but anything less than $450k is great buying for a forward who can average 100 points per game from here. If you take out the concussion-affected score in Round 5, that’s exactly what Smith is doing. So, if you have other issues – or you’re trying to get Gawn – you could consider waiting. Especially with rookie forward Curtis Taylor’s new breakeven of less than 30. It just might cost you a KFC SuperCoach ton.
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2020: The Phantom’s Round 7 review and trade advice