SuperCoach 2016: Al Paton reveals his line-up

FRESH off a 305th placing in 2015, SuperCoach expert Al Paton reveals his experimental 2016 SuperCoach line-up. SEE THE TEAM, HAVE YOUR SAY

Joel Selwood on the bike. Cats training at Elderslie Reserve. Picture: Peter Ristevski

WHAT the hell am I doing?

After my best ever year in SuperCoach — finishing just outside the top 300 overall — I’ve thrown the manual out the window.

Forget the big picture and go for glory. Just like Richmond in 2002 (No, I don’t need to be reminded how that turned out, thank you).

But this is a SuperCoach year different from any other, thanks to unprecedented riches in the midfield.

This, of course, is where most of our points come from. But, crucially, it is also where we make the most cash from quality rookies. This is vital when we need to upgrade those rookies to bring in the top-liners who we hope will fill our teams in the business end of the season.

That means the smart play is to start with five or six players priced at $200,000 or under in the mids.

A quick glance at my starting squad (as it currently stands) reveals I only have four of these players. Five if you count $211,800 Swan Callum Mills.

The problem is Gary Ablett, Tom Rockliff and Tom Liberatore are all hugely underpriced based on their potential output, making them lock-them-in-throw-away-the-key picks this year. Brad Crouch is in the same bracket, assuming he makes it to Round 1 injury-free. That’s four midfield spots gone.

I can’t remember a year with so many midfield bargains, and there are plenty I’m leaving out — Jaeger O’Meara, Jordan de Goey, Matt Crouch to name a few.

Al Paton’s 2016 SuperCoach line-up ... subject to late changes.

The wildcard in the mids is Joel Selwood. His price of $565,500 is too good to pass up for a guy who averaged at least 112 for six years in a row before being the lone ranger in the clinches for Geelong finally took its toll last year. Hello, Danger!

Selwood is battling a foot problem but I reckon he’ll find a way to take on the Hawks in Round 1. Picking players with pre-season injury worries is a big red flag but it will make him even more of a unique pick — right now he’s the 108th most popular selection, in just over 5 per cent of teams.

Of course, spending so much in the midfield has forced me to cut corners pretty much everywhere else.

Jonathan Simpkin averaged 38 disposals a game for the Box Hill Hawks in last year’s VFL finals. Hopefully we see more of that at the Bombers. Picture Stuart Walmsley

Todd Goldstein is non-negotiable but I can’t afford a second premium ruck. If Zac Smith gets the No.1 ruck gig at the Cattery he could be anything. Or he could be a complete disaster. Brodie Grundy is another option here.

Up forward Dustin Martin and Michael Barlow are dual-position guns, Jack Billings is ready to become a star and I’m banking on a bunch of cheap picks to get the job done.

It’s even worse down back where the scoring potential is even lower. But I don’t trust the top-end defenders anyway.

If I get cold feet before Round 1 (every chance) the quickest fix is to pick an extra rookie in the midfield and upgrade one of those cheapies in the forward or backlines.

If I hold my nerve, it’s a massive gamble. At least I’ll have plenty of captaincy options.