SuperCoach’s reigning champion Cole Cook reveals how he plans to go back-to-back in 2019

Reigning SuperCoach champion Cole Cook says he won’t be straying far from the strategy which took him to glory last year, revealing his plans to go back-to-back in 2019.

It’s the strategy that won him $50,000, and 2018 SuperCoach winner Cole Cook won’t be straying too far this year.

Not one to obsess over his team during the pre-season, Cook picked his SuperCoach team about two weeks ago after returning from an overseas holiday and believes the guns and rookies strategy is the safest bet.

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Cook’s key advice from last year was to save your trades after he was rewarded with a massive 144 after being able to bring in Tom Hawkins in Round 23.

Patrick Dangerfield and Jack Macrae are locked into his starting squad, while a groin injury to Braydon Preuss means the coach of CharCole Chicken will likely head into 2019 with a Brodie Grundy-Max Gawn ruck tandem.

“I’ll have a similar plan this year, two or three mid-pricers, but it’s pretty safe to start with a predominantly guns and rookies strategy,” he said.

“Danger’s a lock and I expect Jack Macrae to do the same as last year, while Zac Williams is very good value in defence.

“Across the lines I look for the best rookies and load up there and then go a bit deeper where there aren’t as many to pick from.”

Cole Cook has locked Jack Macrae into his starting midfield. Picture: Getty Images.

Cole Cook is among the 67 per cent of coaches who have picked Patrick Dangerfield. Picture: Alison Wynd

It means Cook — whose previous best finish before winning the overall prize last year was “in the 12,000s range” — will overlook some of the popular value picks in defence and instead load up with cash cows while selecting more premiums in the forward line, where viable cash cows look thin on the ground.

Picking the right rookies and nailing his trades were crucial to Cook winning the title, only taking top spot in the second-last week of the season.

“Getting the right rookies is the most important thing because you depend on them to make cash and it becomes a lot easier to make upgrades during the season,” he said.

“I have a rough look at the byes but it’s more important to pick a decent team first and then worry about the byes because you’ll have traded out the majority of your cash cows by then.”

A Hawthorn fan, Cook is weighing up whether to pick James Cousins, confident the $219,900 midfielder could be a mid-priced gem.

“I was tossing up taking Cousins over Sam Walsh because I think he’ll take a bit of the Tom Mitchell role this year but I’m a Hawks fan, so I could be biased,” he laughed.

“However, I don’t think you can afford to have two $200,000 rookies in your midfield.”

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FIVE TIPS FOR SUPERCOACH GLORY

— Hold your trades

— Adopt the guns and rookies strategy

— Pick the big guns like Dangerfield and Macrae

— Load up in the forward line

— Avoid picking two top-priced midfield rookies