KFC SuperCoach AFL Round 7 late mail: Max Gawn, Connor Rozee roles and other trade help
KFC SuperCoaches had already been hit with several injuries this week. Now, a player in 60 per cent of teams has been ruled out.
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More than 60 per cent of KFC SuperCoach teams have been left reeling after George Hewett was ruled out for round 7.
The DEF-MID revelation, who ranks second to teammate Sam Docherty for total points in defence this year, will not play against North Melbourne after struggling with a calf issue this week.
It will leave a major defensive hole in 102,430 teams with another popular selection, Patrick McCartin, already sidelined under concussion protocols.
It might mean many KFC SuperCoaches are left relying on key defensive rookies Sam De Koning and Josh Gibcus this round.
The other option will be engineering a trade which sends Nick Daicos to defence or fielding Nathan O’Driscoll.
Hewett’s DPP status will allow coaches a direct swap with Daicos, should your cover be in your MID bench rather than in defence.
The 4 per cent of coaches who started Fremantle cheapie Karl Worner might luck out after he was named in the Dockers’ squad to face Geelong.
Reports suggest Worner could make his debut as the sub this round.
Gawn reveals ruck shift minus Jackson
Max Gawn’s KFC SuperCoach owners will be licking their lips at the prospect of the Demons skipper rucking on his own against inexperience Hawk Max Lynch this round.
Gawn’s understudy Luke Jackson was one of three Demons ruled out due to Covid on Wednesday, putting the onus on Gawn to carry the load against Hawthorn.
Gawn has a dominant record against the Hawks, producing scores of 172, 95 and 185 in his last three matches.
The premiership captain is also one of the form players in KFC SuperCoach, ranked second with an average of 137.7 in the past three rounds.
Only Swan star Callum Mills (153.7) has a better three-round average than Gawn after his score of 214 last round.
Gawn revealed on Thursday how the Demons were likely to share the ruck role in Jackson’s absence on Saturday afternoon, before Tom McDonald’s inclusion on Thursday night.
Max Gawn’s KFC SuperCoach owners will be licking their lips at the prospect of the Demons skipper rucking on his own against inexperience Hawk Max Lynch this round.
Gawn’s understudy Luke Jackson was one of three Demons ruled out due to Covid on Wednesday, putting the onus on Gawn to carry the load against Hawthorn.
Gawn has a dominant record against the Hawks, producing scores of 172, 95 and 185 in his last three matches.
The premiership captain is also one of the form players in KFC SuperCoach, ranked second with an average of 137.7 in the past three rounds.
Only Swan star Callum Mills (153.7) has a better three-round average than Gawn after his score of 214 last round.
Gawn revealed on Thursday how the Demons were likely to share the ruck role in Jackson’s absence on Saturday afternoon.
“Obviously Tom McDonald went out of the team last week, so maybe a chance for him to come back in,” Gawn said on SEN.
“Sam Weideman has been sort of trained up to be that second ruck for three or four years and then Luke came in and technically took his spot.
“But now Sam has got a chance to maybe get it back.”
Gawn said he was confident Weideman had the quality to be competitive if he was used as the back-up ruckman this weekend.
HINKLEY REVEALS WHETHER ROZEE ROLE WILL CONTINUE
Connor Rozee will get a sustained run in the Port Adelaide midfield as Power coach Ken Hinkley looks to continue his side’s improvement they have shown over their past six quarters of footy.
The Power finally claimed their first win of the season with a convincing win over West Coast last weekend.
It followed on from a much improved second half against Carlton the previous week, in which the Power nearly came back from 50-points.
A key feature of these six quarters, which Hinkley said the Power “have been much more pleased with the way that we are going about it” has been Rozee deployed a lot more around the ball.
Prior to halftime against Carlton Rozee had attended just seven centre bounces.
Since then the 22-year-old has attended 29, and has played his best footy of the year.
“We were very pleased with Connor Rozee,” Hinkley said ahead of the Power’s trip to Cairns to take on St Kilda.
“Connor has been in the challenge of the team a little bit, the team hasn’t been flying and we’ve needed to use him in a couple of different spots rather than our preferred spot.
“Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been able to get him around the ball and he’s been able to help us as a team.
“We are optimistic, as we’ve always been, about the younger group of midfielders we have coming through.”
Hinkley said the returns of Robbie Gray and Kane Farrell had allowed the Power to move Rozee into the middle of the ground.
“It’s not too simple but it is part of the reason, Kane Farrell coming back as well who can play as a high half forward,” he said.
“It’s about Travis also being able to play as a high half-forward at times for us.
“Getting your team back obviously helps you play people where you like to play them but also getting them into some form also helps.”
After spending 88 per cent of his time on the field in the midfield in Rounds 1-4 Boak has spent 64 per cent in the midfield in Round 5 and 6.
And his forward time in the last two games is up to 36 per cent.
Hinkley said that was the balance for Boak.
“Not too much more than what he has currently been doing this season, he gets his time as does Ollie in our forward line,” he said.
“It becomes a case of mixing and matching and it is also dependent on the day, what is happening on the day, who is playing well.”
Hinkley was confident that Aliir Aliir would face the Saints after rolling his ankle against the Eagles, while Gray needs to pass some straight-line running drills after he jarred his knee.
Hinkley also said that he was getting more and more optimistic around Charlie Dixon and Orazio Fantasia returning.
“I am optimistic and that hasn’t always been the case,” he said.
“Dixon and Fantasia are moving along quickly … some really promising stuff.
“Whether that is two, three weeks further, I don’t know exactly, but I think it’s getting closer.
“It’s a genuine race right now I reckon, I have got some optimism about them both coming back.”
The Power have to spend a night in Sydney on their trip to Queensland and will take 26 players to Cairns.
TOP KFC SUPERCOACH CHEAPIE TO DEBUT
The debut KFC SuperCoach teams have been waiting for will finally take place on Friday night.
Former WAFL star Greg Clark, touted as the must-have rookie of 2022, will play his first game for West Coast against Richmond in Round 7.
A $117k MID, Clark posted astronomical numbers in the state league and was touted as one of the cash cows of the season before injury pushed back his first game for the Eagles.
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“He’s our 37th player to play this year. He’s done it differently to most, played at Subiaco, has become a leader, won the Simpson medal. After his shoulder, he’s played some WAFL games and proved he is ready. We can’t wait to see him play.â€
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) April 28, 2022
Adam Simpson on debutant Greg Clark pic.twitter.com/8zCAZECh4P
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