KFC SuperCoach 2022: Al Paton reveals first draft of his squad

Round 1 is just 10 weeks away – and expert Al Paton has picked his first KFC SuperCoach team featuring some big names and even bigger risks. SEE HIS TEAM

Dustin Martin is back in pre-season training. Picture: Michael Klein

It’s too early for recruiting experts to declare 2021 another “super draft”.

But I’m prepared to make the big calls.

At least, that’s what I hope I’ll be doing based on the first draft of my 2022 KFC SuperCoach team.

The team picker is live, allowing SuperCoach Plus users to start selecting a squad as the countdown begins to Round 1 – which is only 10 weeks away.

That means there is plenty of time for revisions and last-minute changes of heart, and news between now and March 16 is bound to force a rethink to our KFC SuperCoach plans (this time 12 months ago the idea of Jack Ziebell playing in defence was only a glimmer in David Noble’s eye), but you have to start somewhere.

Who knows, this might be the year the team I roll out in Round 1 hasn’t changed since January.

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DEFENCE

Jake Lloyd (Syd) $586,600

Aaron Hall (NM) $572,900

Lachie Whitfield (GWS) $502,600

James Sicily (Haw) $448,100

Caleb Marchbank (Carl) $209,300

Garrett McDonagh (Ess) $117,300

Sam Skinner (Port) $123,900 DEF/FWD

Charlie Dean (Coll) $102,400

Some coaches were a little underwhelmed by Jake Lloyd last season after his average dipped from 122 to 108, but the fact remains he has averaged 113 over the past four seasons – and he has missed one game in that time. The departure of Jordan Dawson to Adelaide makes him an even bigger lock in Don’t Argue for 2022.

James Sicily missed all of 2021 after knee surgery. Picture: Daily Telegraph/Gaye Gerard

I missed the Aaron Hall train in 2021 but won’t make that mistake again, especially considering he’s about $50k underpriced based on his scores from Round 7 last season.

Lachie Whitfield and James Sicily are huge value for potential top-eight defenders, but they will both be a close watch over summer – I need Whitfield to be injury free and Sicily to resume his role as the Hawks’ No.1 interceptor (there are a lot more candidates for that job now).

MIDFIELD

Jack Macrae (WB) $699,900

Jack Steele (StK) $685,800

Sam Walsh (Carl) $637,100

Lachie Neale (BL) $543,200

Jason Horne-Francis (NM) $207,300

Nick Daicos (Coll) $193,900

Josh Ward (Haw) $180,300

Greg Clark (WC) $117,300

Matthew Johnson (Frem) $117,300

Matty Roberts (Syd) $117,300

Judson Clarke (Rich) $117,300

Macrae. Steele. Walsh. Rolled gold. And a criminally underpriced Lachie Neale rounds out the big four.

Then come three top-10 draftees: Jason Horne-Francis (pick 1, $207k), Nick Daicos (pick 4, $193k), Josh Ward (pick 7, $180k), who all boasted huge junior numbers and should play from Round 1.

My final on-field spot goes to a new favourite, Greg Clark. If you missed his story on draft night he’s 24 and scored 181 SuperCoach points in the WAFL grand final.

Jack Steele averaged 138 from Round 11 last season. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Hopefully Craig McRae throws Nick Daicos straight into his centre bounce rotation. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Two players who missed out but I will be watching closely are bargain Lion Jarrod Berry and Matt Rowell – I would love him to tear the pre-season comp to shreds and make me pick him again.

Bench players are largely placeholders this early but Tiger Judson Clarke is the kind of high-impact forward Dimma could throw in against the Blues.

RUCK

Sean Darcy (Frem) $642,600

Brodie Grundy (Coll) $627,100

Max Lynch (Haw) $207,700

This could be my biggest January strategic call.

A popular play will be to bank on Braydon Preuss in one of the on-field ruck spots, saving about $320k to deploy elsewhere on the field.

But I can see that causing all kinds of headaches.

Preuss is still largely an unknown quantity at age 26, having played just 18 senior games - at an average of 64 KFC SuperCoach points.

Granted, that was usually as an understudy to Max Gawn or Todd Goldstein, but at GWS he won’t necessarily walk straight into the No.1 ruck job after Matt Flynn’s improvement.

And to be honest, I’m still terrified of Shane Mumford making a shock comeback.

Brodie Grundy works up a sweat at pre-season training. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Docker Sean Darcy put up some insane numbers last year (including a three-week run of 193, 183, 156) and Brodie Grundy is potentially underpriced after averaging 115 in 2021 - his lowest in four seasons.

If Preuss dominates the pre-season I can always throw him in and find a way to spend the extra cash. That’s going to be a lot easier than making a late change in the other direction.

FORWARDS

Josh Dunkley (WB) $558,200 FWD/MID

Dustin Martin (Rich) $503,500 FWD/MID

Jade Gresham (StK) $299,000 FWD/MID

Stephen Coniglio (GWS) $261,300 FWD/MID

Charlie Curnow (Carl) $224,300

Elijah Hollands (GC) $123,900 FWD/MID

Luke Pedlar $123,900 FWD/MID

Jack Peris (StK) $102,400 FWD/MID

I love the idea of picking Dustin Martin as a POD this year.

It seems most of the SuperCoach world is off him after he couldn’t maintain a blazing start to 2021, eventually going down with a horror kidney injury.

But if he’s fit and firing for Round 1, I’ll happily pocket a 95-plus average – putting him clearly in the top six forwards – with the possibility of some major upside at that price.

I just love having Josh Dunkley in my team and I have included three $200-$300k prospects – an early January luxury that will test my nerve over the next two-and-a-half months.

Photographic evidence of Charlie Curnow looking fit at Carlton training. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

All are potentially massive bargains. Jade Gresham scored 82 and 104 in the two games he managed last year before getting injured, Stephen Coniglio averaged 98 just two years ago, and then there’s Charlie Curnow.

Ignore his scores in the final four rounds last year, the important thing is the Blues’ great white hope got through without breaking down.

Curnow averaged 73.4 in 50 games from 2017-19 and he is $9000 cheaper than Joe Daniher, who I started last year. Joe averaged 79.1 and, more importantly, increased in value by more than $200,000 by the byes – when I should have traded him.

Memo Blues medicos: Tailor all your programs into getting Charlie through until then.