Melbourne 2017 SuperCoach preview: premium selections and who to avoid

THIS is hard to believe — Melbourne has six premium players to choose from in 2017. Will you splash the cash on Max Gawn, or grab star recruit Jordan Lewis? Here are some names to consider.

Max Gawn is the No.1 ruckman in the league. Picture: Getty Images

THIS could be hard to believe — Melbourne has six premium players to choose from in 2017.

Admittedly, Hawthorn premiership star Jordan Lewis boosts the tally but the Demons are no longer a SuperCoach wasteland.

Will you splash the cash on the competition’s No.1 ruckman Max Gawn, or take the punt on Jack Viney elevating himself into an elite midfielder? Can Jack Watts become a trusted member of your squad? Do you give Tom McDonald another chance?

Here are the best buys, bargains and Demons to avoid next season.

PREMIUM

Max Gawn $645,000 ruck

Can the bearded cult hero do what Todd Goldstein couldn’t last season — back up a big season with another one? Gawn racked up 15 hundred in 21 games with seven of them above 140 — that’s huge! And his 118.6 average ranked third in SuperCoach. His price tag should not be a turn-off.

Jordan Lewis $540,600 mid

The ex-Hawthorn champ gives the Demons much-needed outside run. Expect new teammates Jack Viney, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince and Dom Tyson to keep looking for him. Never lets his SuperCoach owners down.

Jordan Lewis can continue his SuperCoach excellence at Melbourne. Picture: Getty Images

Nathan Jones $527,800 mid

The Dees skipper made a slow start in 2016 but really hit his straps from Round 6. Averaged 102.8 from 17 games if you take out the first five. Jones will keep on thriving as Melbourne’s emerging young midfield continues to ease the heavy load on his shoulders.

Jack Viney $527,500 mid

Second in Melbourne’s best-and-fairest, Viney will only keep getting better as he enters the prime of his career. While his 2016 average of 97 was a career-best, it’s still short of elite status. The tough inside midfielder ranked top 15 in the league for tackles (seven per game), contested possessions (12.9) and centre clearances (5.9). If he can lift those numbers again in 2017, Viney will give your midfield a point of difference.

Dom Tyson $502,500 mid

A top ball-winner, Tyson produced eight scores about 100, which included three above 120. But it was a rollercoaster season with seven scores 70 or lower.

Bernie Vince $501,100

Another option if you want to give your team a different look to everyone else. Scores of 54 and 46 in the final two rounds hurt his season average, which comprised nine 100-plus games, including back-to-back scores of 130 and 145 in rounds 11 and 12. Had a few bad weeks he’ll need to eradicate.

MID-PRICE RISKS

Tom McDonald $488,200 def

Lost his premium status last season but McDonald is still an awkward price for a key-position defender, albeit among the top intercept players in the competition. Not quite as bankable as an Alex Rance, but his scorching end to 2016 — six tons in seven games — shows he’s heading to that level.

Jack Watts $457,500 fwd

A whipping boy his entire Melbourne career, Jack Watts played every match in 2016 and enjoyed a career-best playing predominantly as a forward. Four of his five tons came in the second half of the year but with eight scores under 70, Watts doesn’t bring the reliability just yet.

Jack Watts silenced the critics last season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Michael Hibberd $402,200 def

After a year out of the game, the temptation is to select the former Bomber given his price but buyer beware. Although Hibberd is capable of scoring hundreds, his 2015 average of 79.6 was 9.7 points lower than 2014. Must rely on him getting off to a great start to increase his value and give you the option to upgrade for a premium defender.

Christian Petracca $395,600 fwd

The problem when a must-have rookie excels is their price skyrockets the next season but the consistency doesn’t follow. Petracca averaged 17.4 disposals and kicked 12 goals last season and has the potential to be a SuperCoach star of the future, but we need to see it first.

ROOKIES

Liam Hulett $117,300 fwd

Didn’t play a game in 2016 after he was drafted with pick 46. The return of Jake Melksham and the arrival of Jordan Lewis, combined with Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver making impressive starts to their career, spots in the Demons line-up will be hard to come by. May get a chance later in the season if his form in the VFL warrants it.

Mitch Hannan $117,300 fwd

In the same boat as Hulett. Will have to earn his stripes in the VFL before being considered for senior selection.

NO-GO ZONE

Clayton Oliver $382,500 fwd

The big-bodied youngster produced solid rather than spectacular numbers last season. In 13 games, the closest he got to triple figures in his debut season was a 98 against Hawthorn in Round 20. Oliver is as hard as they come but his penchant to handball diminishes his scoring.

Ben Kennedy $372,900

A popular selection in 2016, Kennedy found himself in more than 52 per cent of SuperCoach by Round 4 after starting the season with back-to-back tons. But his form dropped off and his price, which peaked at $354,800, tumbled to $294,100 at Round 17 before he was dropped. At $372k, no thanks.

Jake Melksham $298,200 mid

He looks enticing because of the 10 per cent discount he gets for missing the 2016 because of a drugs suspension, but Melksham’s original price pretty much matches his career average. The ex-Bomber has scored 90 or more in just four of his past 34 games in the previous two seasons, and hasn’t hit the ton since Round 21, 2013.

Jake Melksham is not a prolific scorer. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Jack Trengove $264,100 mid

After more than two years out of the game with a serious foot injury, the former captain was dropped after just three games and didn’t play again after Round 13 after scores of 60, 81 and 67. He was fortunate to be retained by the Demons and faces a big challenge to break back into the midfield.

TEAM PREVIEW

An anti-climatic end to the 2016 season for the Demons, who were poor against Carlton in the penultimate round and then embarrassed by Geelong when a finals berth was up for grabs. But there is no doubt they are an exciting young team on the way up and the additions of Michael Hibberd and Jordan Lewis add experience and depth. Next year could be an exciting one for Demons fans.