The Phantom reveals the first draft of his SuperCoach team for 2020
The SuperCoach pre-season is officially here. With the team picker live, The Phantom has been busy working on the first version of his team for 2020. See it now
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- The next crop of SuperCoach Cash Cows
- 5 surprise DPPs who should be on your radar
- 2020 SuperCoach prices REVEALED
Christmas has come early, SuperCoaches – in more ways than one.
If the 2020 team-picker, which is now open to masthead and SC Stats subscribers, wasn’t enough, I’m ready to reveal the first draft of my team for next season.
Ready might be overstating it, given it’s only December, but the bones are there – and some will still be there come March 19.
DEFENCE
It’s thin – it often is – but, again, there appears to be too much value at less than $500k.
Giant star Zac Williams is the rolled-gold premium after averaging 109 points per game in the final seven games last season, before his side’s grand final capitulation.
But then it’s the value.
Sydney young gun Jordan Dawson, who is available as a dual-position defender-forward, was almost the first-picked after his finish to 2019. St Kilda’s Hunter Clark wasn’t far behind for the same reason.
And, despite missing the past two seasons through injury, Blue Sam Docherty is must-have if he’s ready to go.
THE NEXT STEP SERIES
PART 1: Chayce Jones
PART 2: Hunter Clark
PART 3: Andrew Brayshaw
PART 4: Jordan Dawson
PART 5: Will Brodie
MIDFIELD
There’s 11 midfielders priced at more than $600k in 2020 and you can be sure about most them. At least at this early stage, anyway.
It’s the next bracket where the uncertainty lies.
I’ve gone with four big guns from the top-bracket – Jack Macrae, Nat Fyfe, Josh Dunkley, Patrick Dangerfield – all of which need little explanation.
All I’ll say is don’t forget about Dunkley, the ball-magnet who scored the fourth-most points of any player in the game last year, just because he’s a midfielder-only in 2020.
Two Bulldogs? Yep. Luke Beveridge’s side play 12 games at Marvel Stadium next season, a venue both Macrae (138) and Dunkley (135) starred at in 2019.
In the end, there could be five midfielders worth more than $600k but, at this stage, I’ve gone with the player likely to lead Adelaide next season, Rory Sloane.
Like the Crows, Sloane’s 2019 was underwhelming. And that’s probably an understatement.
But he still posted 14 SuperCoach tons, six of them in excess of 120.
Top draft pick Matt Rowell is lock, as is one of Richmond’s grand final heroes, Marlion Pickett, who’s available at rookie-price.
RUCK
The best ruckmen in the game Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn– the two most-expensive players in SuperCoach – share the Round 13 bye. With that in mind, is it the right move to look at the mid-price value of new Giant Sam Jacobs, who will be the No. 1 man at GWS, or even returning Eagle Nic Naitanui?
By March, probably not, but it’s tempting.
FORWARD
I might have to ask Santa for another on-field spot in the forward-line because there’s almost too much value to choose from.
After certainties Lachie Whitfield and Dustin Martin, you need to have returning Bomber Devon Smith, who played just seven games last season.
Smith averaged 98 points per game and won Essendon’s best-and-fairest in his first year at the club in 2018 and he’s in full-flight on the track.
The thought of highly-talented Carlton recruit Jack Martin finally reaching his full potential at his new club - via a more-permanent role - is too hard to ignore.
Adelaide young gun Chayce Jones is set for more exposure in a new-look Crows side dnd, if all goes to plan, the No.3 pick from the 2018 draft, Izak Rankine, could win the Rising Star award at $123k.
Despite trying, I couldn’t, however, find a spot for like Andrew Brayshaw ($382k) or Jack Steven ($361k).
Well, not yet, anyway.
There’s plenty that can - and will - happen, especially with the rookie-price players, over the next three months.
Originally published as The Phantom reveals the first draft of his SuperCoach team for 2020