SuperCoaches face tough call on whether to trade ruck hero Reilly O’Brien during Round 14 bye

Reilly O’Brien might have just scuppered the trade plans of more than 20,000 SuperCoaches. After his monster score against Richmond, you might have no choice but the hold the Crows ruckman through his bye.

Coaches face a tough call on whether to trade Reilly O’Brien during his bye after his score of 181 against Richmond. Picture: AAP Image/Kelly Barnes.

Can you trade a player who just scored 181 and has a break even of -20?

That is the tough call 23,480 coaches have to make this week after Reilly O’Brien’s ruck heroics against Richmond.

O’Brien had fulfilled his role as a valuable cash cow long before many coaches fielded him in place of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy during their Round 13 bye.

In the space of two hours, the Crows ruckman went from a stop gap to a genuine on-field option.

O’Brien amassed 181 SuperCoach points against Richmond’s rookie ruck duo Mabior Chol and Noah Balta, finishing with 19 disposals, five marks, seven tackles and 54 hit outs.

At $446,000, O’Brien has made more than $300,000 profit.

The only downside of his dominance against the Tigers was it scuppered any plans coaches may have had to move him on when he has Round 14 off.

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Surely, with a negative break even, you must hold O’Brien for at least a few more weeks.

If he can reach $500,000, he’ll be close to a direct swap to a premium player by Round 16.

That could be about the time a top-liner such as Lachie Whitfield ($564,100, Def) returns from injury.

Alternatively, O’Brien could help you bring in a premium forward with a high price tag such as Josh Dunkley ($596,800, Fwd-Mid) or Tim Kelly ($575,700, Fwd-Mid).

HIGHEST #SUPERCOACH SCORES BY RUCKMEN SINCE 2017

REILLY O'BRIEN (R13, '19) 181
Max Gawn (R6, '18) 168
Brodie Grundy (R20, '18) 167
Scott Lycett (R2, '19) 167
Brodie Grundy (R10, '19) 165

— The Phantom (@ThePhantomSC) June 14, 2019

The only concern regarding the 23-year-old had been his job security, considering the lock Sam Jacobs has had on the No. 1 ruck role at Adelaide in recent years.

But with O’Brien claiming that mantle in recent weeks, those who showed patience and opted to hold him until the byes will be handsomely rewarded.

Coaches face a tough call on whether to trade Reilly O’Brien during his bye after his score of 181 against Richmond. Picture: AAP Image/Kelly Barnes.

ROUND 13 STARS

Reilly O’Brien 181

Josh Dunkley 173

Jack Billings 169

Michael Walters 158

Charlie Curnow 154

WEEKLY TOP SCORERS

saintsforever, Mark 2454

Derek’s boys, Lauren 2418

MumFlwrs$3, Maeve 2416

Spitting Llama’s, Andrew 2413

tickle me freo, Tony 2406

OVERALL LEADERS

Ryder2Gray, Adam 29,233

Addo’s Amateurs, Jaimes 29,177

Reidys Rabble, Chris 29,059

BoomBoomAfridi, Rohan 29,054

DAMOnation, Damien 29,016

THIS WEEK’S WINNING TEAM

saintsforever, Mark 2454

DEFENDERS

James Sicily 87

Zac Williams 143

Rory Laird 121

Luke Ryan 88

MIDFIELDERS

Matt Crouch 91

Brad Crouch 129

Zach Merrett C 276

Stephen Coniglio 130

Jack Macrae 150

Nat Fyfe 129

RUCKS

Reilly O’Brien 181

Todd Goldstein 97

FORWARDS

James Worpel 97

Jack Billings 169

Caleb Daniel 114

Travis Boak 121

Michael Walters 158

Josh Dunkley 173

BENCH

Patrick Cripps 78

Brodie Smith 74

Heath Shaw 69

Bachar Houli 68

Will Setterfield 62

Ben Cunnington 59

Ryan Gardner 22

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Reilly O’Brien

O’Brien dominated his inexperienced opponents last round — amassing a round and career-high 181 SuperCoach points. He ruck work was far superior, winning 54 hit-outs, of which 22 were to the direct advantage of an Adelaide player. He also had 19 disposals, 10 contested possessions, seven tackles and six clearances from 89% game time.

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Zach Merrett

Merrett was the top-ranked player on the ground with 138 SuperCoach points in the win over Hawthorn. He finished with 22 effective disposals, 13 contested possessions, four clearances, three tackles and one goal from 76% game time. He also had three score assists and was involved in an equal game-high eight scoring chains.

Jack Billings dominated against Gold Coast, amassing 169 SuperCoach points. Picture: Michael Klein.

Jack Billings

Billings racked up a season-high 169 SuperCoach points (83 in the final term) in the come-from-behind win over the Suns — enjoying a $16,500 price rise along the way. He finished with 33 disposals, 13 contested possessions, three clearances and a game-high 11 tackles. He also drifted forward to kick two crucial goals.

Zac Williams

Williams scored a game and season-high 143 SuperCoach points in last round’s win over North Melbourne. He had 22 effective disposals, 19 uncontested possessions and a game-high 619 metres gained from 81% game time. Williams also won eight intercepts — the second-most of any Giant.

Debutant Jake Stein receives his GWS Giants jumper on Sunday. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

YOUNG GUN: Jake Stein

Stein impressed on his AFL debut against North Melbourne — finishing with nine disposals and a kicking efficiency of 100% from 76% game time. He also had four contested possessions, two clearances and applied eight tackles — the second-most of any Giant.