KFC SuperCoach 2021: Heath Shaw reveals his first draft squad

Heath Shaw reveals his KFC SuperCoach team, after running into some Collingwood-style salary cap problems. SEE HIS TEAM

I thought picking a KFC SuperCoach team would be easy.

I had played a bit during my time at the Magpies and Giants but decided to take it seriously when I signed on to be an official ambassador this year.

And let me tell you, my team was looking great. There were stars on every line ready to pump out big scores every week for my KFC SuperCoach team. But there was a problem.

I used all my $10 million salary cap and still had four empty spots in my team. I felt like Collingwood list manager Ned Guy.

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I had to move things around a bit but I’m happy with where my squad has landed — leaving some cash in the bank for some late changes after we see some pre-season matches.

I’ve picked Braydon Preuss as my second ruckman alongside Brodie Grundy.

I’ve never met Braydon and don’t know anything about him, but he will get games and should score well. But I admit I am a bit nervous about someone still lurking in the background at the Giants. Shane Mumford is still going at age 34, probably because he doesn’t actually train. He spends most of his time on the bike or somewhere and his release is two hours each weekend to run amok. He’ll get a game at some stage.

Tim Taranto and Tom Green are my GWS one-two punch in the midfield. Taranto won the best-and-fairest in 2019 but never got going after suffering an early injury last year, and Green is a big kid who has converted his puppy fat to muscle. He’s an inside midfielder who isn’t going to play anywhere else.

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Tim Taranto is fighting fit leading into 2021 — and great value in KFC SuperCoach.

Taranto is part of my bounce-back team with Patrick Cripps, Matt Rowell and Jack Ziebell all underpriced after injury-impacted seasons in 2020.

Up forward I’m taking a bit of a risk with two key talls, normally a no-no in KFC SuperCoach.

I spoke to Jeremy Cameron the other day — he spends all his time when he’s not playing footy fishing, shooting or camping, so he’s loving the lifestyle down in Geelong, although it might be a bit colder than Sydney in winter.

Jezza is a Coleman medallist who might not get the opposition’s best defender when he’s playing alongside Tom Hawkins, he’s playing for a team that made the Grand Final and I don’t think I’ve seen him at that price since his first season at the Giants.

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Jeremy Cameron is loving live at the Cattery. Picture: Michael Klein

Joe Daniher is a bigger risk given his injuries but he’s so cheap the only way is up playing at a top-four team — where he might not have to play on the opposition’s No.1 defender either.

That could change if he catches fire early in the season, but by that time I will have already made a bucketload of cash.

There is room for changes over the next few weeks, especially when it comes to rookies - I didn’t pay an attention to the draft and have no idea which kids will play, hopefully some get a kick in the pre-season. And I’m picking Oleg Markov on trust — if he doesn’t show me something in the community series he could be traded for a rookie.

I’ll be watching every game closely and getting as much intel as I can, and will reveal the results as we get closer to the season.

How Heath Shaw's SuperCoach team looks in February.

HEATH SHAW’S TEAM

DEFENCE

Jake Lloyd (Syd) $656,400

Brayden Maynard (Coll) $549,900

Zac Williams (Carl) $458,600

James Harmes (Melb) $344,700

Oleg Markov (GC) $314,300

Denver Grainger-Barras (Haw) $184,800

Bench: Lachie Jones (Port) $139,800, Rhys Nicholls (GC) $102,400

MIDFIELD

Jack Macrae (WB) $650,100

Travis Boak (Port) $590,400

Patrick Cripps (Carl) $523,700

Matt Rowell (GC) $495,100

Tim Taranto (GWS) $453,700

Tom Green (GWS) $351,400

Will Phillips (NM) $198,300

Nakia Cockatoo (Bris) $123,900 MID/FWD

Bench: Alex Davies (GC) $102,400, Jack Saunders (Haw) $102,400, Taj Schofield (Port) $102,400

RUCK

Brodie Grundy (Coll) $648,200

Braydon Preuss (GWS) $303,000

Bench: Josh Treacy (Frem) $102,400 RUC/FWD

FORWARDS

Steele Sidebottom (Coll) $588,000 FWD/MID

Rowan Marshall (StK) $557,200 FWD/RUC

Jeremy Cameron (Geel) $388,100

Jack Ziebell (NM) $357,900

Joe Daniher (Bris) $233,300

Jarman Impey (Haw) $212,800

Bench: James Rowe (Adel) $117,300, Corey Durdin (Carl) $117,300 MID/FWD