KFC SuperCoach: Could this team of Bulldogs and Giants win your SuperCoach league?
From Marcus Bontempelli to Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield, GWS and Western Bulldogs are stacked with premium KFC SuperCoach talent. One of our players believes a team centred on Dogs and Giants is the key to winning his league.
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Welcome to the GWS Bulldogs. Or is that the Western Giants?
Being an employee of the Herald Sun, I am disqualified from winning prizes in KFC SuperCoach, so my focus is often on strategies that can help me win my league.
I’ll sometimes have a couple of teams and the boys tell me they can get a bit hairbrained.
Last year I used a strategy of mid-priced madness to share the cash and last year started in defence with Jayden Short (D2, $465,600) and Brodie Smith (D3, $332,500).
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Stephen Coniglio was M2 at $588,600, Tim Taranto was M4 at $481,600 Brad Crouch was M5 at $418,000 and Dom Sheed was M6 at $394,100 and Tom Liberatore M7 at $300,400, while James Worpel was F3 at $395,700.
Four times that team moved up the rankings more than 30,000 places, round on round, rolling out 2226 in Round 1 and finished a respectable 17,633 — thanks to a monster 2781 in Round 23.
But rankings were not the sole focus. At one point in my main league, the team won eight head-to-head matches in a row and stormed into the finals — only to be rolled in straight sets (we’ll work on that).
This year, I’m enamoured by the SuperCoach juice available at the Bulldogs and Giants.
They have genuine guns across all lines, plus a couple of cheapies who could be anything.
First thing’s first, forget about the bye.
The Dogs and Giants both share a bye in Round 14 — it won’t even be worth opening my SuperCoach that week.
But that gives me a distinct advantage in rounds 12 and 13, where virtually all my guns will be available.
Projections are obviously fraught, but SuperCoaches should be aiming for between 1800-1900 on paper for Round 1 (obviously expecting a lot more) — SuperCoach gold projects my team at 1839.
Without touching on the cheapies and couple of guns I’ve had to slide in to make up the numbers — they will change anyway, depending on who is picked in Round 1, here’s a look at my side as it stands.
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DEFENCE
Zac Williams D1 $551,700
Yes, I am a little bit frightened by the news achilles tendinitis has flared up, but a decision will be made on him after selection. Cracked the ton 11 times in 20 games last season and should only get better.
Caleb Daniel D2 $537,900
Set and forget for me. Should be in the top three defenders in 2020. Missed five of the last eight games last season, but kicked it off with seven scores of 93 or better, five of those cracking the century.
Nick Haynes D3 $474,700
This is an interesting one. I was tossing up between Haynes and Bulldog running back Jason Johannisen, who is over $16k cheaper. After averaging 94.4 in 13 games in 2016, JJ has never been able to reach those heights again. Conversely, Haynes produced his best average ever last year (87.4), storming home with a hat-trick of tons as he established himself as one of the better interceptors in the game. I think he can average over 90 in 2020.
Lachie Ash D4 $193,800
Does he play? If Zac Williams doesn’t, surely. Has the ability, needs a chance. Wait on selection.
MIDFIELD
Jack Macrae M1 $668,900
The highest scoring midfielder in SuperCoach last year. Played every game and eclipsed 100 all but three — including 11 straight after the bye. Self-explanatory, really.
Josh Kelly M2 $637,700
ALWAYS has questions over durability, but you can’t question the production. Appears to have had a good pre-season, was great in the Origin bushfire relief match and, if he stays fit, will be among the top 5 midfielders in SuperCoach.
Josh Dunkley M3 $632,400
My pick for SuperCoach’s highest scorer in 2020. Pulls in ridiculous numbers and uses it with fantastic efficiency. Thirteen of his 18 tons were over 130, including these ridiculous scores: 147, 147, 153, 169, 169, 173, 173, 202!
Marcus Bontempelli M4 $623,000
I’d always regarded the Bont as a bit of a tease. I’ve had him some years and not others. He always tended to leave me wanting more. That was until he raised his SuperCoach game to finish with a top-10 average in 2019. He went from 104 in 2018 to 114.7 in 2019 and I think another 10-point jump is not out of the question. Just watch that Marsh Cup performance against North when he had 37 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals — producing 195 SuperCoach points — and then try to argue with me.
Stephen Coniglio M5 $549,500
My M5 was a choice between Cogs and Jacob Hopper. I’ve plumbed for the captain to elevate his game with the extra responsibility. It depends a little on his role but, with Tim Taranto out for five months, he should find more time in the guts. I’m not as concerned as others might be with the forward time, because whenever he goes there, he kicks goals — hauls of four and two of three evidence. Began last season with a bang — 154 out of the blocks — and produced scores of 158 and a ridiculous 207 before injury wrecked his season.
Tom Green M7 $166,800
Averages about a billion in the NEAFL, which isn’t the greatest guide, but remember that bloke Tom Mitchell? If he can lock down a spot, Green could challenge Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell for best SuperCoach rookie.
RUCKS
Tim English R2 $448,400
I’m not nuts, I promise. Well, maybe a little. Obviously starting with Brodie Grundy as R1. English has been compared to Grundy and, in his first full season, the big Bulldog increased his average by nearly 20 (63.6 to 82.6) (Grundy’s year 2-3 was 62.9 to 90.6). It’s not unfathomable with another pre-season behind him and more time in the weight room, he could add another 15-20 to that in 2020. I know there are a lot of ruck options this year, but English is going to get plenty of opportunity to operate as the Dogs’ sole man at the stoppages. Could he be this year’s Rowan Marshall? If he doesn’t work out, I can always get Gawn.
FORWARDS
Lachie Whitfield F1 $604,100
Barring injury, set and forget. A luxury in the forwardline (as is Dustin Martin, who is my F2).
Toby Greene F3 $510,100
The Giant everyone loves to hate has endless SuperCoach potential. If he plays in the midfield, he’s capable of going large. His shift into the guts last year after Coniglio went down yielded six straight tons, raising his average from 77.5 after Round 16 to end on 93.9. Big year in the leadership group ahead. And hey, if he fails, even more reason for him to be the Giants’ whipping boy.
Rhylee West F4 $231,300
Here’s where it gets a little grimy. Love this son of a gun’s potential, but are the Dogs’ too deep? Will reassess at the selection table. I am liking Bailey Smith to make a big jump on his 76.6 average on his debut season, but we will see.
Cody Weightman F6 $144,300
JJ reckons the “little pocket rocket” will play early in the season. Would rather him be $123k, but what do you do? Ben Cavarra will 110 per cent be in my side if he is picked in Round 1.
