The Phantom’s Round 16 AFL SuperCoach blog: How to replace crippled Cripps with a point-scoring king

THE Phantom has had a month to forget and, like some of his star players, is limping to the end of the season. Will he turn to some SuperCoach royalty to replace injured Carlton star Cripps?

Consistent Hawthorn star Tom Mitchell is the perfect upgrade option for Patrick Cripps. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

THE Phantom can’t take a break at the moment — unless it is of the injury kind.

The Phantom’s faith in Patrick Cripps ended in misery against Melbourne despite a lightning start when he hobbled from the MCG on 24 points in what turned out to be a season-ending fractured tibula.

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Here The Phantom provides some alternatives to the $553,300 Blues gun for the run to finals.

PATRICK CRIPPS

As the young Carlton star fell to the to the MCG turf, after getting a kick to the back of the leg Sunday — scans later revealed a fractured fibula — The Phantom’s hopes of a late-season revival vanished.

Cripps will miss the remainder of the 2017 but, given he will not require surgery, will be right to go from day one of the pre-season. Lock him in for 2018!

Anyway, back to the misery that is 2017. If you traded Cripps in last week on the back of The Phantom’s advice, I apologise. But we have to trade so let’s look at who can replace him.

TOP PRICE

Tom Mitchell (Haw) $589,800

Dayne Zorko’s 196 in round 16 was super and Dustin Martin has notched up seven scores of 120 or more this year but it’s hard to go past Mitchell’s consistency. The Hawthorn ball magnet has posted a SuperCoach ton in all but one of his 15 games this season. The 24-year-old tallied another 39 disposals and 130 points against the Giants on Saturday.

Josh Kelly (GWS) $601,800

One thing The Phantom did pick correctly this year was the rise of 2013’s No. 2 draft pick. The smooth-moving Kelly, who has increased his SuperCoach average from 87 to 113 in 2017, has scored more than 92 points in every game this season, breaking the 100-point barrier on 10 occasions, with the development of his all-round game the key. He’s not cheap but points-of-difference are crucial come finals time and Kelly is only in 11 per cent of teams, with a five-round average of 125.

Swans player Luke Parker has had a sterling five games. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

STRAIGHT SWAP

Luke Parker (Syd) $527,300

After only two SuperCoach tons in the first 10 rounds, Parker has lifted significantly to post five on-the-trot since round 12.

The tough midfielder, who boasts a five-round average of 111, has played a big hand in helping his side fight their way back in the top eight. A proven SuperCoach force.

THE BARGAINS

Joel Selwood (Geel) $483,100

The Geelong skipper bounced back, after a week off with concussion, to score 120 against the Lions. But his price still dropped to $483k, a huge $123k less than his starting figure. Selwood faces another big break-even of 165 this week but, given there are only three rounds before SuperCoach finals, is it really worth waiting another week to save $20-$30k? The Phantom doesn’t think so. A great buy now.

Crows star Rory Sloane is on the rise after a few quiet weeks. Picture: Dylan Coker

Rory Sloane (Adel) $487,000

While he hasn’t reached the 100-point mark for five weeks, Sloane found more of the ball and had greater influence against the Bulldogs, in a sign he may be working his way back into some form. The value is undeniable at $487k and The Phantom believes a big score is only just around the corner.

POINT-OF-DIFFERENCE

Callan Ward (GWS) $547,300

Only Patrick Dangerfield has scored more points than Ward over the past three rounds in what has been a huge return to form for the Giants co-captain. The inside midfielder struggled for consistency in the opening nine rounds, registering three SuperCoach tons but also four scores of less than 82. While you could’ve picked him up for $446k at the completion of Round 11, Ward, who is only in two per cent of teams, is still great buying at his current price.

Tom Rockliff (Brisbane) $465,000

Has the SuperCoach community forgotten about a bloke named Tom Rockliff? When fit, he’s arguably one of the best SuperCoach scorers of the past decade. After losing the captaincy, Rockliff started 2017 with a bang, averaging 123 points over the opening eight rounds, posting four scores of more than 135. But late in the round eight clash with the Hawks - a game when the ball magnet registered 147 points - Rockliff dislocated his shoulder. And that’s when he, again, began to slide off the SuperCoach radar. Rockliff missed four weeks, including the bye, and hasn’t been the same since, failing to score more than 92 points in his past five matches.

Is his shoulder still a concern? An average of 3.8 tackles per game since his return would suggest so, given he laid 8.2 tackles in the first two months of the season. And then there is the ongoing speculation about his future, which has again making headlines. There are plenty of warning signs but the simple fact is, Rockliff is a proven scorer and he loves playing against the Lions’ next two opponents, Richmond and Carlton.

Brisbane hosted Richmond in Round 4 and the 27-year-old posted a huge 176 points and the last time the Lions faced the Blues, in Round 11 last season, Rockliff posted a double SuperCoach ton. Sure, it’s risk but if you are after a point-of-difference to replace the injured Cripps, Rockliff, at $465k, is a tempting proposition.

The Phantom’s Round 16 score: 2129

Overall ranking: 25,344

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Originally published as The Phantom’s Round 16 AFL SuperCoach blog: How to replace crippled Cripps with a point-scoring king