SuperCoach AFL 2017: will you pick these high-scoring veterans this year?

LIKE an archaeologist digging for the remains of the past, relics and fossils, this week Dan Begala’s pays homage to the elder statesmen of SuperCoach.

LIKE an archaeologist digging for the remains of the past, relics and fossils, this week we’re paying homage to the elder statesmen of the game.

We’re not talking about just any run-of-the-mill fossils, but those players, aged 30 and above, that will go a long way to finishing in the top 8 scorers for their respective positions – Defence, Midfield, Ruck and Forward.

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DEFENDERS

KADE SIMPSON ($578,700, Def) Age: 32

He may be a string bean, but he bleeds blue and is the quarterback of the Carlton backline, barking orders and rebounding out of defence like a jackrabbit.

A picture of consistency when it comes to SuperCoach, Simpson has averaged north of 90 points per game since 2009, whilst in 2016, a career-best, he maintained an average of 106. Freak.

He’s ultra professional, barely misses a game and a certainty to finish within the top 5 scoring defenders in 2017.

Kade Simpson had a career year in 2017.

Heath Shaw is always a popular SuperCoach pick.

HEATH SHAW ($576,500, Def) Age: 31

There’s no greater assurance in SuperCoach than Heath Shaw and yes, he’s 31, but forget that, he’s still got enough in the tank to average north of 100 points.

One of the most experienced Giants, along with Stevie J, Ryan Griffen and now Brett Deledio, Shaw will be the driving force behind GWS’s push towards premiership success.

He may look the class clown, give away the odd free-kick and of course, the dreaded 50m penalty, but lock Shaw in to raise his game in 2017 as he and the rest of GWS seek to atone for their preliminary final loss to the Western Bulldogs.

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MATTHEW BOYD ($563,900, Def) Age: 34

A stalwart of the Western Bulldogs backline, Boyd’s sublime season was not only rewarded with premiership success, but also acknowledged with All-Australian honours.

The Dogs lost Bob Murphy to an ACL and only weeks later, Jason Johannisen, to a long-term hamstring injury.

The former captain rose to the challenge, averaging 103 points, as he disposed of the ball from the defensive arc with the accuracy of an assassin.

My only concern, other than his age, is his tendency for soft tissue injuries and that is why, given his price, I’ll be steering clear of Boyd - to start with.

LEIGH MONTAGNA (538,100, Def) Age: 33

The baby-faced assassin, Joey Montagna is a bona-fide gun when it comes to SuperCoach, maintaining a career average of 103 points per game, including a lofty 125 (2009) during his halcyon days roaming the St Kilda wing.

He was a gift from the SuperCoach gods in 2016 with his Midfield-Forward eligibility, but although he averaged 99 points-per-game, it was nothing short of a rollercoaster with several scores below 50.

Montagna won’t be a walk-up start in my side, but I’ll more than guarantee he’ll work his way into the D5 or D6 position come the business end.

Gary Ablett has had injury troubles for the last three years. Picture: David Clark

MIDFIELDERS

GARY ABLETT ($620,600k, Mid) Age: 32

The little master is a star of the game, but over the past two seasons, we’ve unfortunately been robbed of his greatness with injuries getting the better of him.

I will never forget the moment; out on the wing of Metricon Stadium, when he was tackled in a bone-jarring motion that shattered his shoulder.

Since then, he’s never been the same by his lofty standards.

If he’s fit and firing come Round 1, he’ll pose a very difficult decision for the seasoned coaches across the land. Doubt him at your own peril.

MATTHEW PRIDDIS ($593,800, Mid) Age: 31

The Pridditor is the definition of set-and-forget.

Yes, he’ll have the odd game where he scores 200 points, but outside of this, he’ll deliver you a safe, comforting, 110 points week-in, week-out.

His stats don’t lie with an average of 112 (2014), 112 (2015) and 109 points (2016) across the past three seasons.

There’s no slowing this former Brownlow Medallist down, who I envision, will absolutely thrive working alongside his new teammate, Sam Mitchell.

The big question mark, however, is the impact of Nic Naitanui’s injury on his clearance and centre-bounce craft.

SAM MITCHELL ($568,000, Def) Age: 34

Left many, if not all fans, bamboozled when he decided to defect to the West Coast Eagles following a decorated career at Hawthorn.

Most will think Mitchell, 34, is running off into the sunset to complete a coaching apprenticeship with his mentor, Adam Simpson, but I have a feeling there’s still some SuperCoach relevance in this little champ, who averaged 105 last season.

A fresh environment, inspired by a retrospective Brownlow, I wholeheartedly expect Mitchell to be a force for the Eagles, especially if leaping ruckman, Nic Naitanui, can return.

He’s not fast, never was, so age should be no barrier for Mitchell in 2017.

JOBE WATSON ($453,300, Mid) Age: 31

He’s relinquished captaincy duties, he’s refreshed and, along with the broader banned Bombers, are here to wreak havoc on the competition.

The whispers arising from Windy Hill suggest he tore a recent intra-club to shreds with his bullocking work across the stoppages and during stints up forward.

As many elder statesmen will attest, Watson will undoubtedly benefit from the extensive break, both mentally and physically, but can he rekindle his glory days?

I’m a numbers man, always will be, but the caveat to selecting the “under-priced” Watson is that his SuperCoach average has trended downwards from 120 (2012), 111 (2013), 107 (2014) and 92 (2015). Warning signs, for me, so I’ll consider his partner-in- crime, Dyson Heppell, as a priority.

Aaron Sandilands keeps his eye on the ball at training. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

RUCKS

AARON SANDILANDS ($308,200, Ruck) Age: 34

The 211cm Fremantle beanpole is a generational ruckman, a pioneer of his craft.

Of all the mature aged stars investigated, Sandilands, at 34 years old poses the greatest risk.

Many had earmarked him as their second ruck, likely to Max Gawn or Todd Goldstein, however as if to a script, Sandilands has again suffered a soft-tissue injury, this time a calf.

Despite the obvious arbitrage, put a fork in Sandilands if you have aspirations for the overall rankings, as there’d be nothing worse than having your season derailed by the dreaded “turf-toe”.

SHANE MUMFORD ($536,300, Ruck) Age: 30

Much like the aforementioned Sandilands, Mumford is a ruckman that boasts a career replete with injuries and absences.

But when Mumford plays, the young GWS midfielders walk taller.

Whether he’s crashing packs or laying bone-crushing tackles, Mumford is a vital, if not the most important cog, to the premiership aspirations of the Giants.

My expectation, noting his importance at GWS, is that they’ll regularly nurse and rest him in the lead-up to the finals, which from a SuperCoach perspective, is a nightmare.

Tiger-turned-Giant Brett Deledio has a history of injury. Picture: Phil Hillyard

FORWARDS

NICK RIEWOLDT ($549,500, Fwd) Age: 34

St Nick. He’s a mythical creature, isn’t he?

Reminds me of Matthew Richardson in the twilight years of his career when he roamed the wing and if not for a hamstring strain, may have been an unlikely Brownlow Medal winner.

There’s been a renaissance of older players, but none more prominently than Riewoldt, who at the beginning of 2017, will be the highest priced forward in the competition following a season where he averaged 101.

His last game of 2016, let me remind you, 26 disposals, nine goals and 187 SuperCoach points, all at the ripe old age of 34.

BRETT DELEDIO ($516,900k, Fwd) Age: 30

He’s the prized recruit GWS was crying out for in the preliminary final, but I expect him to settle in on a flank, either forward or back.

Imagine him roaming the defensive 50m, alongside Shaw, dishing out piercing rebound kicks or alternatively, partnering Stevie J and using his exquisite skills to apply real scoreboard pressure.

A tantalising prospect for the handful of GWS supporters amongst us, but that’s if, and only if, he can shake his extensive history of soft-tissue complaints.

EDDIE BETTS ($481,000, Fwd) Age: 30

A mercurial forward that leaves defenders in a daze and Carlton fans, including yours truly, heartbroken.

I must admit, despite all of his on-field heroics and All-Australian honours, I am yet to ever select him in my side. It’s crazy, right?

The best small forward in the game, with daylight a close second, is still yet to earn the highest regard in football: a berth in The Begala Brigade.

His output, unfortunately, is too sporadic and draws direct comparisons with that of a key forward, so Betts misses for me.

STEVE JOHNSON ($464,500, Fwd) Age: 33

Punters wrote Stevie J off following his exit from the Cattery, but the three-time premiership star responded as all champions know best, playing 21 games and averaging 85 points in 2016.

If it wasn’t for a minor misdemeanour in the qualifying final against Sydney, where he flattened an unsuspecting Josh Kennedy with a head-high bump, the Giants may have been premiers.

He’ll bounce back from the disappointment, alongside the rest of GWS, but I’m not confident that Stevie J will be SuperCoach relevant in 2017.