The SuperCoach Investor looks at who your captain should be for the first week of finals

WITH Patrick Dangerfield sitting on the sidelines, it’s time to make a call on your captain for the first week of finals. The SuperCoach Investor looks at all the options.

Nathan Fyfe must be looked at as a captain this week.

THE dress rehearsal is done-and-dusted and we’re now embarking on the most exciting month of the SuperCoach calendar: The Finals Series.

There will be do-or-die clashes, trade conundrums aplenty but most importantly, an opportunity to entrench yourself in the halls of SuperCoach immortality if you play your cards right.

If you’re still in the hunt for league supremacy, give yourself a brief pat on the back, but it’s essential that you take heed of the major dilemmas facing coaches on the eve of the finals.

BIG MONEY: TAKE THE FREE SHOT AT PERFECT 9

THE PHANTOM: WHAT ARE THE TRADE OPTIONS?

Our resident expert, Daniel Begala, takes a critical look at the essential decisions required to guarantee you revel in the spoils of the ultimate SuperCoach success.

THE CURVE BALL

Patrick Dangerfield ($741K, MID)

Average: 134 - Breakeven: 195

The absence of Patrick Dangerfield is certain to cause a stir among the SuperCoach community with many, if not most coaches, bereft of trades and reinforcements to cover for this sizeable loss.

Don’t despair, however, as there’s a multitude of options available for the savvy coaches among us. After all, there are more ways than one to skin this “Cat”.

Patrick Dangerfield will miss one week with suspension. Picture: Hamish Blair

TRADE

If you’re inundated with trades, say 5-6, then it’s perfectly viable to bid sayonara to Dangerfield if the decision ensures you gain the competitive edge over your league opponent(s).

The SuperCoach Investor emphasises the importance of trading your rookie stocks (Hugh Greenwood, Alex Witherden & Luke Ryan) before committing to parting ways with “Danger”.

However, for those coaches entrenched in the rankings pursuit, run your calculations to assess the incremental benefit of acquiring top-tier talent such as Tom Mitchell, Dustin Martin or Lachie Neale, who will also double as captaincy alternatives.

HOLD

The grand majority of coaches will hold, whether it’s forced or voluntary, and leverage the services of a rookie or player boasting dual-eligibility status.

If your side has earned itself the added benefit of a “double-chance” then it’s essential that you exercise the upmost patience and find an alternative scoring solution.

With careful manipulation of the loopholing features of your team, most coaches should be able to guarantee themselves two bites of the scoring cherry.

The SuperCoach Investor anticipates the return of ”Danger” to yield seismic scoring, particularly given his impending match-ups (RCH, COL & GWS) and fixtures at his beloved Simonds Stadium.

Nathan Fyfe must be looked at as a SuperCoach captain for this week. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

CAPTAINS CALL

It’s tough, I know, but we need to come to terms with it.

For the first time, in a long time, we’ll have to do our captaincy due diligence.

The SuperCoach Investor’s best picks for this week’s do-or-die clash are:

Nat Fyfe (Opponent: SUNS)

Last 3: 142 Last 5: 136

The aura of Nat Fyfe has been reinstated and the Gold Coast Suns loom as the perfect candidate for a vintage Fyfe performance. He’s playing Saturday evening, so if he underperforms; bestow the honour upon the likes of Dustin Martin or Tom Mitchell.

Gary Ablett (Opponent: FRE)

Last 3: 126 Last 5: 144

The little maestro is an attractive candidate for captaincy duties this week, but the concern remains whether he’ll make the flight and overcome his niggling hamstring tightness. If he plays, back Ablett to produce a SuperCoach masterclass and remind the pundits of his unrivalled scoring potential.

Dustin Martin (Opponent: HAW)

Last 3: 109 Last 5: 99

Martin’s historical performance (against Hawthorn) doesn’t exactly render him an immediate captaincy option, however given his current form and the added Brownlow inspiration; it would be remiss to overlook him for leadership duties this weekend. Watch out for the defensive impact of the young tagger, Daniel Howe, who’s stifled many top-shelf midfielders across the past month.

Is Dustin Martin worth the risk for SuperCoach captain this week? Picture: Jake Nowakowski

THE LIABILITIES

If you’ve managed to reach the SuperCoach Finals, it’s likely that your side is brimming with premium talent across every positional line.

Like they say in AFL circles, your side’s ultimate success will be dictated by the weakest links and those players that pose the greatest inconsistency of scoring.

We know who they are. They are your side’s Achilles heel and they bleed points.

The list is extensive, but some of the household headaches include: Heath Shaw ($423K, DEF), Toby Nankervis ($403K, RUC-FWD), Tom Lynch ($399K, FWD), Tom Rockliff ($382K, MID) and the recent addition, Rory Sloane ($462K, MID).

They’re capable of the upmost premium scoring, but as we’ve all become accustomed to, have the propensity to dish out the odd (or rather frequent) soul-destroying score.

If you’re the proud owner of one, maybe even more of the above players, then it is paramount that you leverage the benefit of dual-eligibility and loopholing to maximise your sides scoring potential.

Be careful when it comes to Heath Shaw this week.

Focus on the match-ups, game scheduling and the availability of “non-scoring” players (Oscar Junker, Tarir Bayok and Luke Strnadica) as your highest priority this weekend.

Heath Shaw, as an example, is partaking in the early game (1.45PM v MEL) and your priority should be to loophole his scoring position, good or bad, via use of the “emergency” feature.

They say players respond when their backs are firmly against the wall, so resigning Shaw to the bench could become a SuperCoach masterstroke and one that prompts the frustrating defender into immediate action.

If all else fails, hand the keys to your defence over to rookie revelation, Alex Witherden ($362K, MID-DEF), whose freshman year in the AFL system has yielded an average of 90 points per week.