SuperCoach positions revealed: Who is playing where in 2017?
SUPERCOACH positions are in and there are some huge changes for some of the biggest names in the game including Martin, Merrett and Zorko.
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THIS is a great time to invest in drawing boards.
SuperCoaches are going to be going back to them in droves when they sit down to pick a squad for 2017 after player positions were determined by Champion Data.
The AFL’s stats gurus have studied hours of game footage and heat maps to figure out where every player spent most of their time on the field in 2016 — in the AFL, TAC Cup or any of dozens of other feeder comps — then stamped each with a position assignment for next year.
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And they just made picking a SuperCoach team a lot tougher — or more interesting, depending how you look at it.
The biggest headaches are in the forward line.
The three top-scoring forwards for 2016 were all dual-position players, headed by Bomber Zach Merrett, who averaged 112 points a game. He has lost his DPP status and next year can only be picked in the midfield.
Second-top scorer Dayne Zorko (109) has suffered the same fate. And so has No. 3 Dustin Martin (108). All mid-only.
Scrolling down the list of highest-scoring forwards doesn’t improve the situation. Michael Barlow is a mid-only in 2017 and so is Aaron Hall. Leigh Montagna, who averaged 99 last season as a mid-forward, is listed as a defender for 2017.
But it’s not all bad news. Luke Dahlhaus will be a very popular pick after retaining his mid/fwd allocation, while Josh Caddy, Jack Macrae, Touk Miller and Bradley Hill have picked up DPP status as mid/fwds.
And there is some excellent value in DPP rookies.
SuperCoach players can cash in on TAC Cup coaches playing their top kids in a variety of positions to increase their draft appeal, starting with No. 1 draft pick Andy McGrath who is a defender/midfielder in SuperCoach.
Pick 2 Tim Taranto, pick 3 Hugh McCluggage and pick 4 Ben Ainsworth are all mid/forwards along with Gold Coast’s Jack Bowes, who will start at a much more attractive price after slipping to pick 10.
Magpie father-son pick Callum Brown is also a mid/forward and so are potential bargains Nathan Hrovat, Shaun Edwards, Angus Brayshaw, Billie Smedts and Josh Thomas.
And St Kilda has come to the party with Jack Steele, Koby Stevens and Jack Billings all mid/forwards in 2017, while top draft pick Ben Long and former Bomber Jake Carlisle are defender/forwards.
Champion Data has also opened the door for some interesting tactical manoeuvres between the ruck and forward lines.
Paddy Ryder, Majak Daw, Tom Boyd and Toby Nankervis are all ruck/forwards, and there are plenty of DPP bench options. Geelong’s new Fijian sensation Esava Ratugolea might not play much — perfect for loopholes — or take a punt on 21-year-old Sydney recruit Darcy Cameron, who dominated the WAFL and is ready to go if Kurt Tippett or Sam Naismith get hurt.
NO LONGER DUAL-POSITION
Zach Merrett MID
Dustin Martin MID
Dayne Zorko MID
Leigh Montagna DEF
Michael Barlow MID
Toby Greene FWD
Aaron Hall MID
Daniel Rich MID
Jeremy Howe DEF
Jack Watts FWD
Christian Petracca MID
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti DEF
NEW DUAL-POSITION
Jack Macrae MID/FWD
Josh Caddy MID/FWD
Touk Miller MID/FWD
Bradley Hill MID/FWD
Jack Billings MID/FWD
Jack Steele MID/FWD
Nathan Hrovat MID/FWD
Angus Brayshaw MID/FWD
Jake Carlisle DEF/FWD
Jack Martin DEF/FWD
Tom Boyd FWD/RUCK
DPP ROOKIES
Andrew McGrath DEF/MID
Tim Taranto MID/FWD
Hugh McCluggage MID/FWD
Ben Ainsworth MID/FWD
Jack Bowes MID/FWD
Callum Brown MID/FWD
Shai Bolton MID/FWD
Jarrod Berry MID/FWD
Daniel Venables MID/FWD
Ben Long DEF/FWD
Sam McLarty DEF/FWD
Darcy Cameron FWD/RUCK
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