SuperCoach 2017: Which St Kilda players will you pick in your starting squad?

WELCOME to St Kilda, the home of the SuperCoach mid-pricer. Are the Saints a fantasy goldmine or a big trap? The best buys, biggest bargains and Saints to avoid in 2017.

WELCOME to St Kilda, the home of the SuperCoach mid-pricer.

Are the Saints a fantasy goldmine or a big trap? The best buys, biggest bargains and Saints to avoid in 2017.

PREMIUMS

Nick Riewoldt $549,500 fwd

Moving up the field boosted Riewoldt’s SuperCoach output back into three figures in 2016, making him the fourth highest-scoring forward in the game. Look only at players who can be picked in the forward line in 2017 and he jumps to No. 1 — boosted by a monster 187 on SuperCoach grand final day. There used to be a rule in SuperCoach not to pick players over 30 but Riewoldt, Matthew Boyd, Corey Enright and others have consigned that to the bin. Back him to go big again.

TOP SHELF: SYDNEY SWANS SUPERCOACH PREVIEW

TIGER TIME: RICHMOND SUPERCOACH SPECIALS

ROCKY RISK: TOP BRISBANE LIONS SUPERCOACH PICKS

Leigh Montagna $538,100 def

Rooey’s old partner in crime is another winner from position changes next season. He was a fwd/mid in 2016 but is now classified as a defender after playing loose in the backline for most of the year. His 99-point average would have made him a top-eight defender and he’s every chance to back that up in his 16th season.

Jack Steven $560,600 mid

On his way to a third best-and-fairest Steven averaged 103 SuperCoach points in a yo-yo season that included six scores of 120 or higher, including three times above 150. He just needs to iron out the bad weeks; turning his frustrating 60-80 scores into something around the 80-100 mark would catapult him to the top of the scoring pile.

Seb Ross $512,400 mid

Looking for a point of difference? St Kilda’s quiet achiever boosted his average last year from 68 to 94 with barely anyone noticing. Punched out a 152 in Round 9 and a 138 in Round 22. Has cemented a midfield spot in an improving team, turns 24 early in the season and will only get better.

On his day Jack Steven is one of the best SuperCoach scorers going around. Picture: Colleen Petch

MID-PRICE RISKS

David Armitage $474,800 mid

Commiserations if you picked Armitage in 2016. He was one of the biggest SuperCoach flops of the season, with his average dropping from 110 to just 87. He’s a better player than that which makes this an appealing price.

Jack Steele $347,100 fwd/mid

Will the former Giant get more opportunities at his new club? Yes. Will he score better than last year’s 64-point SuperCoach average? Almost certainly. Is he worth a $347k investment? Ummmm. It’s hard to see him becoming a genuine premium and an average in the 80s would result in a trade later in the season for about a $100k profit. Is that enough?

Jack Billings $407,700 fwd/mid

Possibly the most frustrating player in the game, Billings has all the talent in the world and the potential to be a SuperCoach star — exhibit A is his 143-point game against the Bulldogs in 2015 — but somehow finished 2016 with an average of 75 from 17 games. Breakout year looms.

Blake Acres $410,100 fwd/mid

Another player at a very awkward price but if his finish to 2016 is an indication of how he’ll go next year, he could be worth the risk. Acres averaged 97 over his final five games, hitting 110 twice.

Ben Long (right) starred for Footscray in the VFL finals.

ROOKIES

Ben Long $117,300 def/fwd

The Saints raised eyebrows by picking the 19-year-old Northern Territory product with their first pick at the national draft, but they were obviously attracted by his rapid improvement from playing for the NT under-18 side early in the year to starring for Footscray in its VFL finals campaign. Long booted six goals in the prelim and two in the grand final and is ready to go.

BOOM OR BUST: TOP MID-PRICE RUCKS AND MIDFIELDERS

NO-GO ZONE

Jake Carlisle $337,000 def/fwd

On face value he seems a very affordable option at either end and he comes with a 10 per cent price discount as one of the banned former Essendon players who missed all of 2016. But a quick scan of his scoring history sends a clear message to stay away — Carlisle has averaged between 63 and 76 for his past four completed seasons.

Nathan Freeman $123,900 mid

The poor kid just can’t catch a break. He’s a former top-10 draft pick but hasn’t played a game in three seasons due to recurring hamstring problems. Don’t add the pressure of performing for your SuperCoach team to his shoulders.

Proof Nathan Freeman really does exist. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Jake Carlisle is still recovering from hip surgery. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

TEAM PREVIEW

The rebuild is about to pay off with the Saints set to push for their first finals appearance since 2011. The list has been carefully assembled, with Carlisle and former Magpie Nathan Brown filling holes in the key defensive posts. Players entering their fourth-sixth seasons — Ross, Acres et al — should improve again but don’t expect a lot of opportunities for rookie-priced youngsters.