KFC SuperCoach 2023: The Phantom’s final team revealed

The KFC SuperCoach season is underway and The Phantom has made a significant final change ahead of Saturday’s first lockout. See his final side here.

When news filtered through that Elliot Yeo will miss Round 1 with a calf issue, the KFC SuperCoach world was in disarray just 24 hours before the first lockout.

The popular mid-price defender was an important part of KFC SuperCoach structures but – as many of us were thinking deep down – it was too good to be true.

Now is better than next week, or 90 minutes before West Coast’s game, though.

I played around with a few different ideas to fill the void. Moving Liam Jones to D3 was something I considered – and still am – given I didn’t want to throw my whole team out.

But I’ve gone back to where it all – partly – started: Hayden Young.

To make it work, I had to dump Jones, reluctantly, altogether and drop Clayton Oliver down to Marcus Bontempelli, an idea I’ve really come around to, given the ongoing talk about the Demons wanting to mix things up in the middle.

But then, after the Will Phillips and Toby McLean news, I needed more money again to make sure I could pick all the right rookies. So, Bontempelli has become Josh Kelly. He was the No. 1 CBA man for the Giants in the practice match and he had an equal-team-high 17 contested possessions. Sure, there was no other player I was willing to sacrifice for the extra rookie cash, but long-time followers will know I’ve always had a soft spot for him.

Harry Sheezel and Luke Pedlar come onto the field in the forward line, while I’m taking a punt on Jack Bytel proving to Ross Lyon he’s worthy of keeping his spot.

THE PHANTOM’S LATE CHANGES

IN: Josh Kelly, Jack Bytel, Harry Sheezel, Luke Pedlar, Kade Chandler

OUT: Marcus Bontempelli, Will Phillips, Toby McLean, Jye Menzie, Anthony Caminiti

Hayden Young is The Phantom’s Elliot Yeo replacement. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos

Like he did in January, Young fits into the foundation that the team is built on – the answers to one question, who is going to take the next step?

I love picking the next big thing in the game. I’ve nailed a few but, of course, taken a big swing and a miss on others.

Yes, Tom Green is in my team again this season.

But it doesn’t need to be five steps. For a starting selection to be successful in KFC SuperCoach, one step – the next one – might be enough.

Enough for Luke Davies-Uniacke to become a top-line premium, or – armed with the extra trades and the boosts – enough for Sam Flanders to become a premium much earlier than a rookie-price cash cow.

Here’s where I am at, ahead of any final rookie changes post-team selection.

Jordan Dawson, right, is back in The Phantom’s team. Picture: Emma Brasier

DEFENDERS

Sam Docherty (Carl) $603,600
Jordan Dawson (Adel) $603,100

Hayden Young (Freo) $509,200
Reuben Ginbey (WC) $171,300, Mid
Charlie Constable (GC) $123,900, Mid

Darcy Wilmot (Bris) $123,900

Campbell Chesser (WC) $123,900 Mid
Lachie Cowan (Carl) $117,300, Mid

I blew up the defence earlier in the week, before the Yeo to Young move. I still like James Sicily, who I initially said was my pick of the $600k+ defenders but in this structure which features two in that price bracket, I couldn’t afford him. Sam Docherty reminded us all in the practice match of his huge KFC SuperCoach power and everything is going to go through my old favourite Jordan Dawson in Adelaide’s defence. There were ups and downs for Young last year, but he still averaged 99 KFC SuperCoach points in the final 12 games of the season, including finals. Good kicking is good SuperCoach and, of the 79 players to average 23 disposals or more in 2022, only Tom Stewart, Daniel Rich, Caleb Daniel and Shannon Hurn recorded a better kicking efficiency than Young (79.4 per cent).

Is it finally Tom Green’s time in the GWS midfield? Picture: Phil Hillyard

MIDFIELD

Rory Laird (Adel) $703,900

Josh Kelly (GWS) $582,300
Luke Davies-Uniacke (NM) $557,400
Tom Green (GWS) $534,600
Jacob Hopper (Rich) $332,000

Sam Flanders (GC) $256,300, Fwd
Will Ashcroft (Bris) $202,800
Jack Bytel (StK) $158,600
Oskar Baker (WB) $123,900
Noah Long (WC), $117,300, Fwd
Alwyn Davey (Ess), $117,300, Fwd

Laird has been locked in for a while and Kelly takes Bontempelli’s place in a late change for extra money. Luke Davies-Uniacke averaged 110 KFC SuperCoach points in the run home last year – a much higher number than his price tag suggests – and he could explode against the Eagles in the opening round. Don’t worry about the practice match score. With Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper and Tanner Bruhn missing, Green might take a few extra steps – and stay there – this year. Hopper is priced at 67 and, at $332k, he doesn’t need to be picked as a keeper. I’ve thought about James Worpel, and Finn Callaghan has been in, too, but I’ve settled on Sam Flanders after his performance against the Giants. Touk Miller was missing but he only attended six centre bounces, proving his ball-winning ability outside of the first-choice on-ball rotation anyway. He’s going to be a star, but can Callaghan’s predominantly outside role hold up in KFC SuperCoach when things don’t go right for GWS?

What will Max Gawn average in 2023? Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

RUCK

Max Gawn (Melb) $622,100

Rowan Marshall (StK) $506,500
Nick Madden (GWS) $102,400, Fwd

Yep, Max Gawn. The Demons star is in less than 10 per cent of KFC SuperCoach teams, despite being close to the best scorer in the competition over the past five years. Yes, Brodie Grundy will take points from him as they split the role, but as the practice game against the Tigers showed, there is still likely to be enough big scores for Gawn’s average to remain near the top. And if it’s not high enough to challenge an early-season blitz by, say, Tim English, then it should be enough for when he hopefully becomes a dual-position forward by Round 6.

Connor Rozee is the man for the Power in the midfield. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

FORWARD

Josh Dunkley (Bris) $596,400, Mid
Connor Rozee (Port) $513,800, Mid
Tim Taranto (Rich) $503,100, Mid
Errol Gulden (Syd) $472,000, Mid
Harry Sheezel (NM) $198,300

Luke Pedlar (Adel) $173,400

Fergus Greene (Haw), $123,900
Kade Chandler (Melb) $123,900

This has been the most stable part of my side this summer – and Errol Gulden at F4 was a bit point-of-difference in my January team – read about why I’ve been tipping a big jump this season for a while. Rozee is priced at 93 but the Power young gun finally made his mark in the midfield in the back half of last season, averaging 110 across the final 10 games. He’s a midfielder now and Ken Hinkley needs him in there. Taranto will just about be Richmond’s first-picked on-baller in 2023, while I’m very happy to get Harry Sheezel and Luke Pedlar back in after Toby McLean was named as emergency.

The Phantom's final KFC SuperCoach team