Tim Michell reveals his first SuperCoach team for 2020 and the stars he can’t live without
No.1 draft pick Matthew Rowell will be a popular starting selection in SuperCoach, but Tim Michell locked in another young Suns midfielder first. Here’s his first team for 2020.
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Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice … well you know how it goes.
This is a formula I apply when choosing my SuperCoach team each year.
In 2019, it meant paying up for Brodie Grundy from Round 1.
I wasn’t missing out again after he skyrocketed out of reach and averaged 130.5 the previous season.
I started Jake Lloyd for the same reason and although he had an indifferent finish to this year, he was the No. 1 defender by 236 points ahead of Geelong’s Tom Stewart.
I watched on full of envy as Nat Fyfe dominated the early rounds this year and won’t make the same mistake of not starting with the Brownlow medallist.
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Ditto Shannon Hurn, an incredibly reliable defensive scorer who has a huge points ceiling thanks to his superboot from the defensive 50.
Of course, there’s a strong case to be made for hunting for value.
History tells us the mid-priced starting selections rarely pay off in the long run.
How many of those priced $300,000-$400,000 I start next year remains to be seen, but it’s too hard to overlook known commodities such as Devon Smith and Jack Steven so early in pre-season when we know very little about the rookie crop from this year’s draft.
TIM MICHELL’S INITIAL 2020 SUPERCOACH TEAM
DEFENDERS
I can’t see any great value in defence outside the obvious — Carlton co-captain Sam Docherty ($436,100), who averaged 108.7 in 2016 and 114.7 in 2017.
Despite two knee reconstructions, he should be the first-picked defender in every SuperCoach side.
Shannon Hurn ($562,200) gets the nod at D1 for his reliability, while fast finisher Darcy Byrne-Jones ($473,400)is D2.
He only scored below 80 once from Round 9 and had seven tons in that stretch.
Returning CrowTom Doedee ($273,700) should score well from intercept marks and Dylan Roberton ($260,400) is a wait-and-see as he bids to return from an elevated heart rate. Fingers crossed for him.
Hayden Young ($180,300) was long touted as one of the top draft prospects of 2019 and went at pick No. 7 to the Dockers.
With speed and elite kicking two of his best attributes, he could figure from Round 1.
Will Gould ($117,300) has the build to play early and Irishman Luke Towey ($102,400) slots in as he’s basement price.
MIDFIELD
I was scrambling to get Nat Fyfe ($651,600) in from the start this year and won’t make the same mistake again.
The Brownlow medallist only had three scores below 100 and boasted 12 120+ totals, making him a prime captaincy candidate every week.
Josh Dunkley ($632,400) has lost MID-FWD status but his monstrous ceiling — especially at Marvel Stadium – sets him apart from those at a similar price.
How many players amassed 173 and 202 this year?
He’s unlikely to get a tag either with Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae in the same side. Tackle machine Elliot Yeo ($584,400) is only going to get better and has averaged 107.9 and 107.6 in consecutive years to border on elite status in SuperCoach.
Stephen Coniglio ($549,400) is underpriced for his potential output and should relish the GWS captaincy.
Jack Steven ($361,700) slots in at M5 as I needed some value after spending $1.4 million on two ruckmen.
Matthew Rowell’s ($207,300) junior numbers suggest he can replicate Sam Walsh’s stunning debut year, during which the Rising Star winner averaged 86.9 SuperCoach points.
Grand Final debutant Marlion Pickett ($123,900)should be in 100 per cent of teams at his price and Mitch Hibberd ($114,400) has the mature body to slot straight into Essendon’s midfield.
Carlton clearly rates draft bolterSam Philp ($121,800) , while Gold Coast traded its mid first-round pick to Geelong to gain access to Jeremy Sharp ($117,300) .
Watch Adelaide closely in its first pre-season under Matthew Nicks to see if young guns such as Harry Schoenberg ($117,300) will feature in a reshuffled side.
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RUCKS
Set and forget and a R3 loophole.
I can understand why people will consider value picks Sam Jacobs and Nic Naitanui but Max Gawn ($697,100) and Brodie Grundy ($705,900) are the best point scorers in the game.
You’re leaving yourself with ground to make up in other positions if you don’t start the Gawn-Grundy combination.
Matt Conroy ($102,400) will be the 2020 version of Luke Strnadica and Tony Olango.
FORWARDS
I can’t go past the obviousLachie Whitfield ($604,100) and Dustin Martin ($543,000) pairing for F1-F2.
They’ll be a popular combination but are a level above the other options available as premium forwards.
Martin will no doubt drop in price but his elite games will be worth spending big from the start for.
Like Byrne-Jones, Sydney’s Jordan Dawson ($467,800) produced a strong finish to 2019 to suggest he can take the next step.
Dawson scored four tons from Round 14 and averaged 96.4 in the last five rounds.
Essendon’s Devon Smith ($335,800) is far too cheap if his knee is right.
No. 3 draft pick Izak Rankine ($123,900) is one of the best selections of 2020 and Sam Flanders ($162,300) should play early if he can build his tank in pre-season.
Shane McAdam ($123,900) is likely battling Tyson Stengle for the Eddie Betts role at Adelaide.
Dylan Williams ($117,300) was hampered by injury this year but Ken Hinkley has been willing to blood young guns and the No. 23 pick would offer a different element to the Power attack.
