The greatest KFC SuperCoach burning questions of Round 11
On Sunday, Patrick Cripps and Jy Simpkin each recorded seven clangers. Champion Data numbers reveal exactly how they affected their KFC SuperCoach scores. Should you be worried? These are the burning questions of Round 11.
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Round 11 of KFC SuperCoach isn’t over but it’s already thrown up a number of big questions. And the answers are likely to affect your trade plans moving forward.
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Where did Patrick Cripps and Jy Simpkin lose their points?
They were two of the best value options this round but, on Sunday, Patrick Cripps and Jy Simpkin each recorded seven clangers, severly affecting their final KFC SuperCoach score. Thanks to Champion Data, here is where they lost their points.
PATRICK CRIPPS (KFC SuperCoach score: 93)
-15.7 free kicks + 50-metre penalty against
-3.9 dropped mark
-15.4 kick + handball clangers in final term only
TOTAL: -35.1
Round 11 #supercoach Price Projection* - Patrick Cripps
— Brice Mitchell (@bricemitchell) August 10, 2020
StartPrice $636k
2019Av 117
2020Scores 112/117/123/81/116/56/85/75/149
R11Price $489k
R11BE 70
R11Score 93
R11:$489k->$499k
NewBE 60
ProjScore 101
R12:$499k->$517k($18k)NewBE 120
R13:$517k->$508k($-9k)NewBE 108
*approx https://t.co/kB4XQIegMd
JY SIMPKIN (KFC SuperCoach score: 74)
-7.9 free kicks against
-9.7 kick + handball clangers
-3.6 no pressure error
TOTAL: -21.1
Round 11 #supercoach Price Projection* - Jy Simpkin
— Brice Mitchell (@bricemitchell) August 9, 2020
StartPrice $383k
2019Av 71
2020Av 95
2020Scores 131/104/140/119/97/127/57/35/56/103
R11Price $398k
R11BE 81
R11Score 74
R11:$398k->$395k($-3k)NewBE 62
ProjScore 95
R12:$395k->$410k NewBE 80
R13:$410k->$416k NewBE 64
*approx https://t.co/n9tT8UmmAU
The Carlton co-captain will be fine but if you overlooked Simpkin ahead of Round 10, is he still worth jumping on?
At $395k – yes, his price will fall after his performance against the Demons – the breakout midfielder’s 120-point average across the opening six round and KFC SuperCoach ton against the Cats in Round 10, are enough to go on. Especially if you’re struggling for cash.
The 22-year-old tallied 20 disposals and is still the No. 1-ranked centre-bounce player at North Melbourne.
Is Luke McDonald the real deal?
Well, it’s hard to argue with his recent numbers.
Since Round 8, only Clayton Oliver, Lachie Neale and Jack Macrae have won more of the ball than the 25-year-old, who played just 13 games last year due to injury and suspension.
And, in the space he’s been given on the outside, McDonald has been efficient, ranking No. 1 in the competition for effective kicks during this period.
The left-footer has hit the target with 60 of his 75 kicks in the past four matches and boasts a four-round KFC SuperCoach average of 123.
In terms of value, McDonald’s likely price tag of $491k would suggest you’ve missed the boat.
But, then again, if he can maintain these numbers - even to some extent - a sub-$500k price tag, as a defender, is a good one.
What about Trent Dumont?
There’s no real arguing with the numbers of McDonald’s teammate, either.
Dumont averaged a solid 92 points per game in the opening six rounds, and he’s been just that, solid, in KFC SuperCoach for most of his six-year career.
But he exploded in Round 7. Dumont tallied 23 disposals, 11 contested possessions and 139 points against the Tigers and then followed up the starring performance with scores of 122, 126, 110 and 131.
The 25-year-old’s 126-point average across this period is the 11th-highest in the competition.
He doesn’t lead the league for any stat, like McDonald, but he boasts a number of scoring avenues, averaging 23 disposals, 10 contested possessions, six tackles, give clearances and four inside-50s in the past four matches. A career-high disposal-efficiency of 73.4 is also giving his KFC SuperCoach scoring a nice boost.
But as a midfielder-only at $580k, is the best option at the price?
Is Bailey Smith a keeper?
At just $409,100, Bailey Smith loomed as the KFC SuperCoach bargain of the year in Round 8.
Four weeks later, coaches have been left wondering whether the young Bulldog will still be in their teams come season’s end.
Smith has averaged 84 points in his past four games, well down on his output from rounds 1-6 when he averaged 109 (disregarding an injury-affected three).
His dip in scoring has coincided with Josh Dunkley’s return from an ankle injury.
Dunkley’s inclusion has pushed Smith out to a wing and after averaging 14.3 centre bounce attendances to Round 10, the 19-year-old has attended a combined 14 in the past two rounds.
While there will be more pertinent issues for most coaches (on-field rookies should be No. 1), what to do with Smith is becoming an issue few thought they would have to deal with.
The Bulldogs are likely to have a bye between rounds 14-16, the ideal time to decide whether Smith will be part of your team for the run home and KFC SuperCoach league finals.
If you’re sitting pretty and have trades spare then, give the mullet man a clean cut.
IS OLLIE WINES THE REAL DEAL?
He hasn’t averaged more than 100 KFC SuperCoach points since 2014 — the only season Ollie Wines has averaged triple figures in seven seasons. But the Port Adelaide on-baller has thrust himself into consideration in the past five weeks, when he has scored 104, 100, 143, 70 and 189. Wines went at 81.8 per cent by foot against Richmond in Round 11, well above his season average of 57.1 per cent. He had 22 contested possessions, 13 ground ball gets, 10 clearances and 11 tackles, a dominant performance his 1274 KFC SuperCoach owners would have loved watching. He was still under $500,000 ahead of Round 11 but is projected to be about $541k next round.
Round 11 #supercoach Price Projection* - Ollie Wines
— Brice Mitchell (@bricemitchell) August 8, 2020
StartPrice $480k
2019Av 88(12g)
2020Scores //107/72/67/85/104/100/143/70
R11Price $494k
R11BE 85
R11Score 189
R11:$494k->$541k($47k)NewBE 69
ProjScore 104
R12:$541k->$557k($16k)NewBE 46
R13:$557k->$583k($26k)NewBE 148
*approx https://t.co/7R7b0Ssaw6
SHOULD YOU HOLD ONTO PLAYING ROOKIES?
A question many coaches will be asking. Marlion Pickett was traded out of more than 7000 KFC SuperCoach teams in Round 11 and those coaches would have felt vindicated when he scored 48 against Port Adelaide. Other popular rookies Connor Budarick (7196 trades) and Brandon Starcevich (5625) were also on the chopping block. But considering the team carnage of recent rounds, is it really wise to be punting them for rookies with questionable job security? Those who traded in Connor Ballenden or Sam Skinner last round only got one price rise before they were dropped by Brisbane Lions. That leaves you in no-man’s land. With KFC SuperCoach scoring returning to best 22 scoring for rounds 12 and 13, a 50 from Budarick or 45 from Starcevich will be better than copping a donut.
IS IT TOO LATE TO GRAB SAM DRAPER?
Thousands of KFC SuperCoaches must have been ruing trading in Draper in Round 10 when he was on four points at halftime against Shane Mumford. But the Essendon second-gamer responded in the best possible way, flourishing after halftime and finishing with 74 points. That caused his price to jump by $42,200 to $166,100. The Bombers have Tom Bellchambers and Andrew Phillips to provide support, but deploying Draper one-out in his second game was a significant tick of approval from Essendon’s coaching staff. If you’re worried about needing ruck insurance in the remaining rounds, he’s still affordable.
WILL MORE PLAYERS BE MANAGED?
There were three players listed as managed on team sheets for Round 11 — the most significant of which was Melbourne captain Max Gawn. Geelong and Adelaide ‘managed’ four players in Round 10, North Melbourne ‘managed’ three, GWS and Essendon managed veteran big men Tom Bellchambers and Sam Jacobs and Brisbane managed Grant Birchall. That’s a lot of player management. KFC SuperCoaches should be planning as if more players will be managed in the last six or seven rounds of the season, especially later in the campaign when teams are out of finals contention are locked in to top-four spots. Make this a consideration when planning your trades.
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Originally published as The greatest KFC SuperCoach burning questions of Round 11