Round 10 late mail: Max Gawn shoulder injury, more KFC SuperCoach rookie options
KFC SuperCoaches were nervous after Max Gawn was sent for scans ahead of the clash with the Crows. Now they should be worried after the star big man confirmed he’s battling injury. The latest update and how you can prepare for his potential absence
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Alarm bells were going off for more than 56,000 SuperCoaches when Max Gawn revealed he is playing with an injury after the Demons’ win against Adelaide.
“I did tear something in my upper shoulder region (the lat muscle),” he said on Fox Footy.
“I had to be careful and get as much advice as possible, we went to different people and (fitness boss Darren Burgess) called all over the world trying to find people that had the injury.
“We came to the decision that I could probably play … the first half did take me a while. At times I thought ‘why did I put my hand up?’, but I did get into it towards the end.”
He was sent for scans on Monday and cleared to face the Crows.
But he is now in doubt for Melbourne’s clash against the Kangaroos, and Todd Goldstein, on Sunday.
Gawn missing would be a huge blow to KFC SuperCoaches who have enjoyed an average of 145 points a game this year.
However, his absence would be somewhat offset by the best 18 scoring system which will apply in Round 11 due to two teams — Sydney and GWS — having a bye.
Those who want cover will be eyeing Essendon’s Sam Draper ($123,900, RUC), who scored 73 on debut against Brisbane Lions.
And one-game big man will be given every chance to improve on that score after the Bombers opted to manage Tom Bellchambers for the clash with the Giants.
Shaun McKernan returns but Draper is likely to given the No. 1 ruck role on Friday night.
“McKernan has been our back-up ruckman for the majority of this year and coming in fresh he’ll be up for going in and doing some ruck work,” Essendon coach John Worsfold said.
“We’ll work out what the actual mix is as we see the game unfold and how the guys compete in there, but we were really pleased with (Draper’s) debut game last week and we’ll look for him to build on that.”
Treloar down, Wicks ready to light up
In more disappointing injury news, Collingwood star Adam Treloar is set to miss several matches after suffering another hamstring injury on Thursday night.
The midfielder played just 49 per cent of the game against the Swans after spending the final term on the bench.
But highlighting his immense ball-winning ability, Treloar still talled 25 disposals and 94 KFC SuperCoach points.
It’s time for more than 10,000 KFC SuperCoach teams to start planning their trades.
But there were some big positives from the Round 10 clash at the Gabba.
Sydney debutant Sam Wicks ($123,900 MID) is about to become hot KFC SuperCoach property. Well, after the Swans’ Round 11 bye that is.
Wicks, promoted off the rookie list following long-term injuries to Josh P. Kennedy and Isaac Heeney, impressed on debut, tallying nine disposals, six contested possessions, six tackles, one goal and 80 points against the Swans on Thursday night.
It’s a statline similar to his NEAFL season in 2019, with the 20-year-old averaing 22 disposals, 10 contested possessions, seven tackles and 103 points per game for the Swans’ reserves last year.
What happened to Cats stars?
If you thought Geelong’s midfield looked a bit different on Wednesday night, you wereren’t imagining things.
And it could be a sign of things to come as the Cats manage their superstars through a compressed fixture.
Patrick Dangerfield spent most of the game at full-forward before being thrown into the centre square for a crucial clearance in the final quarter.
Mitch Duncan (81 per cent time on ground) and Tom Stewart (77 per cent) also appeared to have their game time managed after being two of the most popular KFC SuperCoach trade targets before Round 10.
Meanwhile, the likes of Cam Guthrie and Lochie Fogarty were handed more midfield responsibility.
It was reflected in KFC SuperCoach scores with Guthrie (124 points), Gryan Miers (119), Sam Menegola (109) and Fogarty (102) all outscoring the Cats’ usual suspects.
And coach Chris Scott indicated after the game it’s something we should get used to.
“I’ve got a level of confidence that we’ve got a group of players who haven’t played much footy for us this year that can come and do a job,” he said.
MORE SUPERCOACH ADVICE:
KFC SuperCoach Round 11 trade bible: Best targets coming off the bye
Doctor’s Orders: Best KFC SuperCoach trade options coming off the Round 10 bye
The Phantom’s Round 10 Review: All burning questions answered ahead of Round 11
KFC SuperCoach: Trade targets, rookie options and everything you need to know for rounds 10-12
THE PHANTOM’S ROUND 10 CAPTAINS
Lachie Neale (Bris)
V Richmond, Tuesday night
The numbers above say it all. Like in previous weeks, when opposition midfielders have dominated, the Tigers are unlikely to tag. And Neale has posted scores of 139 and 190 in his past two against Damien Hardwick’s side, including last year’s qualifying final. Enough said. If you have him, he’s your VC or, if you went with Jack Macrae on Monday night, your C.
Dustin Martin (Rich)
V Brisbane, Tuesday night
If you don’t have Neale, Dusty is another VC option to consider. After a slow start, the Brownlow Medallist has posted three consecutive KFC SuperCoach tons, including a season-high 184, on the back of 26 disposals and three goals, last round. Tuesday’s night clash with the Lions is a blockbuster and we know Martin loves the big stage – it’s hard to forget his six goals against Brisbane in last year’s final.
Max Gawn (Melb)
V Adelaide, Wednesday night
The star big man will play against Adelaide and that means he’s an automatic inclusion here, despite last round’s 87 points. Todd Goldstein got the better of Crow Reilly O’Brien, on his way to 140 in Round 9 and Gawn finished with 158 points in his last meeting with Adelaide’s No. 1 ruckman. And the Crows’ poor, and often stagnant, ball-use going forward should see Gawn drift back and intercept, something Port didn’t allow him to do at the Gabba. But given he must be sore, if you don’t have Neale, maybe make him your VC.
Depending on who cops close attention from Ben Keays, midfielders Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca could also post big numbers against a struggling Crows side.
Brodie Grundy (Coll)
V Sydney, Thursday night
In his past two meetings with Callum Sinclair, who is back in the No. 1 ruck role for the Swans, Grundy has tallied a combined 42 disposals, 31 contested possessions, 121 hitouts and 332 KFC SuperCoach points. Huge.
Jake Lloyd (Syd)
V Collingwood, Thursday night
In the past month, Luke Ryan (132), James Sicily (132) and Shannon Hurn (114) – yes, Hurn – have all found plenty of the ball in the back-half against the Magpies. And there is no player better at doing just that than Lloyd, who is averaging 122 points per game since Round 1.
Jack Steele (StK)
V Gold Coast, Thursday night
Speaking of conceding big scores, Gold Coast has giving up plenty to opposition midfielders in recent weeks. The Giants dominated the Suns in Round 9, with Lachie Whitfield (148), Jacob Hopper (134), Tim Taranto (126), Stephen Coniglio (121) and Josh Kelly (106) running riot. It wasn’t group dominance in the previous rounds, but Jack Macrae (169) and Luke Parker (141) also went big in Rounds 7 and 8. So if you’re after a point-of-difference and your VC fails, Steele, who has posted five scores of 128 or more this season, is worth some thought.
Josh Kelly (GWS)
V Essendon, Friday night
The Bombers aren’t tagging and we all know what Kelly can do when he’s given some space, with Round 8’s 195-point performance the prime example. The star Giant has scored 104, 99 and 176 in each of past three against Essendon.
Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
V Essendon, Friday night
Whitfield is just as damaging as Kelly in space, as evident by his season-high 148 points, on the back of 29 disposals and 13 marks last round. And Brisbane had 58 more marks and 62 more uncontested possessions than the Bombers last week