Which SuperCoach players caught the eye in final five JLT Series matches
The countdown to Round 1 is nearly complete which means the SuperCoach lockout is incoming. Are you prepared? Fear not, the expert team at Doctor SuperCoach have you covered with their final JLT Series review.
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If you didn’t see every minute of every game, don’t panic. The expert team at Doctor SuperCoach had the binoculars on all the key SuperCoach players — see their detailed notes from the first five matches below, and stay tuned for homework from the rest of the JLT Series.
RECAP: WEEK ONE JLT SUPERCOACH REVIEW
EYE-CATCHERS: WEEK TWO JLT SUPERCOACH REVIEW
TEAM REVEAL: BUCKY NAMES HIS SUPERCOACH TEAM
RICHMOND 95 D HAWTHORN 87
The Hawks started this match in a dominant fashion, leading the Tigers by 40 points at the major break. However, Richmond was able to boot 12 goals to four in the second half, winning their second JLT match against a formidable side.
Both sides escaped uninjured in this one.
MISSING IN ACTION
Richmond: S Grigg, J Castagna, T Lynch, J Caddy, R Collier-Dawkins, B Ellis, F Turner, C Coleman-Jones
Hawthorn: G Birchall, T Scully, T Mitchell, C Wingard, J Gunston, D Howe, C. Glass, W. Golds, H. Jones, T. Mohr
LUKE BREUST $516,400 FWD — 101 SUPERCOACH POINTS
After a career year in SuperCoach last year, Breust began his 2019 campaign in a similar vein of form by kicking the first goal of the match. However, if there was ever a game to show that Breust isn’t reliant on a bag of goals for his big scores, this was it — as Breust failed to score a major after his first. Breust was able to gather 24 disposals to go with his six marks and two tackles, as well as a poor disposal efficiency of just 54% — indicting some room for improvement. In a year with minimal safety in the forward line, taking a punt on a point of difference selection could be the play!
JAEGER O’MEARA $503,200 MID — 101 POINTS
We are now entering season five of Jaeger O’Meara and with a Tom Mitchell sized hole in the midfield, we could be seeing his best opportunity to break out in to an uber premium. Jaeger racked up 35 disposals to go with a goal, however with just 101 points, O’Meara showed he has deficiencies too. Priced generously at an average of 93 points, Jaeger won’t be found cheaper this season if he does make the jump to uber premium status; so if you’re going to take this punt, it might pay to do it sooner rather than later.
TRENT COTCHIN $486,900 MID — 129 POINTS
The 2012 Brownlow medallist found himself in a world of space in this matchup, taking full advantage of the newly implemented 6-6-6 rule. Trent was able to accumulate 24 disposals to go with five marks, four tackles and two goals, albeit at a poor disposal efficiency of 58%. It only took Cotchin 69% time on ground to have a large impact, however, in terms of being in consideration for our 2019 SuperCoach side, this may still be a bit of a stretch. Cotchin would have to revert back to his form as a Brownlow medallist seven years ago to have a chance at being a top ten midfielder, but he seems too far removed now as he hasn’t been able to crack an average of 102 or more since then.
ALEX RANCE $448,100 DEF — 85 POINTS
Five time All-Australian Alex Rance has put forward a respectable average of 97 points this JLT series. Rance is coming off of his worst SuperCoach average since his second season in the league — with eight seasons in a row eclipsing the 80 average mark. You would be a brave SuperCoacher to punt on Rance returning to his best, but this JLT series can’t have hurt your confidence. If Rance can defy the new rule changes and revert back to his best intercepting defender form, there could be a bargain here — but it is a doubtful proposition to say the least.
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JACK HIGGINS $392,700 FWD — 99 POINTS
Excitement machine Jack Higgins is being tipped by many for a breakout second season in the league after cementing himself in Richmond’s best 22 last season. However, as we saw with Christian Petracca in 2018 and many more before him, a second year breakout isn’t easy. Higgins cracked the ton just twice last season and would need to improve that number drastically this season to be in top eight forward contention, but despite a fine JLT series, Higgins registered no 100 point performances (although this one was very close). Higgins will be a barometer for Richmond this season and have many good games, but good SuperCoach selections require consistency and reliability, which Higgins is unlikely to provide … yet.
JACK SCRIMSHAW $149,800 DEF — 78 POINTS
After four games for Gold Coast in 2017, Jack Scrimshaw failed to lace up the boots in the 2018 season due to a year cruelled by injuries. Seemingly over his injury woes and back home in Victoria, Scrimshaw is primed to start fresh at the club he supported as a kid. Scrimshaw showed promising signs early in this affair with 12 disposals in the first quarter; however, he ended with 18 for the match in a generous 79% time on ground. This makes for a tough read on Scrimshaw’s scoring potential and job security, however, if named Round 1, Scrimshaw will be hard to ignore!
SYDNEY 123 D GOLD COAST 81
Sydney made easy work of a hard-working Gold Coast team in this match, running out winners by 42 points. SuprCoach relevance wasn’t prominent and with the late omission of Jake Lloyd due to illness, the highest priced defender in SuperCoach was only seen once this JLT.
Isaac Heeney rolled his ankle in the first quarter but returned to action after having it re-strapped. Exciting top three pick Izak Rankine injured his hamstring and will miss the start of the season while teammate Aaron Young went off in the third quarter after injuring his ankle and didn’t return.
MISSING IN ACTION
Sydney: Nick Smith, Jake Lloyd, Lance Franklin, Jarrad McVeigh, Kieren Jack, Zak Jones, Tom McCartin
Gold Coast: Corey Ellis, Will Brodie, Jack Hombsch, Brayden Crossley
JARROD WITTS $480,900 RUCK — 86 POINTS
Newly appointed co-captain Jarrod Witts has been a pivotal player this JLT series, averaging a monster 46 hitouts per contest. Despite the ruck dominance, Witts has only been able to muster an average of 80 points this pre-season, which is not enough to justify his lofty price tag. It isn’t all bad news for those considering Witts however, as the big man averages 91 SuperCoach points as a Gold Coast player during the season proper. If the elevation to captaincy motivates Jarrod, we could see a spike in average, but it looks unlikely at this point with his performance in the JLT series not quite inspiring enough for potential suitors.
BRAYDEN FIRORINI $422,200 MID — 95 POINTS
Drafted at pick 20 in 2015, Brayden Fiorini looks ready to explode this season after averaging a strong 94 SuperCoach points post his ankle injury last season, albeit in just four matches. We are now seeing Fiorini continue this vein of form this year, in which he registered an average of 94 SuperCoach points over the two JLT games played. While the rising star is priced at an 81 average for 2019, Fiorini threatens to blow his last season’s average out of the water — but where will this leave him in regards to SuperCoach? With a 95 average, SuperCoachs will be stuck in no man’s land as Fiorini won’t be a keeper or a cash cow. Watch this space for the 2020 season.
TOM PAPLEY $383,400 FWD — 140 POINTS
Viewers of this match were shown Papley’s best with 27 disposals, seven tackles and a goal, securing him the honours of best on ground. Tom started forward and enjoyed stints through the midfield, however, as per his JLT1 performance, it isn’t always high scoring dominance when receiving that illustrious midfield time — Papley only managed a score of 50 SuperCoach points in his 80 per cent time on ground against the Giants. This is now what we expect from Papley, a ceiling of 121 in the last two seasons, has been met with a floor of 23. Until Tom is able to rid his game of inconsistencies, we simply cannot consider him in our SuperCoach sides.
PEARCE HANLEY $296,400 DEF — 76 POINTS
As if there weren’t already a raft of mid-price options in defence already, enter Pearce Hanley. It is easy to forget that Hanley went three consecutive seasons of a 90 average with a high of 103 in 2014, but since then, he has only played 49 of a potential 88 games. With that being said, in this match, Hanley looked electric, gathering 16 disposals and laying two tackles in just 54 per cent time on ground. The equation is simple; when healthy, Hanley scores points in bunches and it is impossible to rule out an 85+ average, however, it is now unlikely that Hanley stays fit until the byes due to many seasons of data showing us his frailties. The positives and negatives are all too obvious here. Will he have great success? Or be an epic failure?
GOLDEN RULES: THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF SUPERCOACH
EXPERT TIPS: 21 TIPS FOR SUPERCOACH SUCCESS
HINTS: FIVE TIPS TO BOOST YOUR SUPERCOACH SCORE
ST KILDA 93 D WESTERN BULLDOGS 79
The Saints and Dogs played a fiery, close affair at Mars Stadium. Despite missing key members of their team, the Saints stood tall and capped off a stellar JLT Series. However, the contest was marred by the potential career-ending injuries to Roberton and McCartin.
MISSING IN ACTION
St Kilda: Jake Carlisle, Jack Steven, Dan Hannebery, Blake Acres, Max King, Billy Longer
Western Bulldogs: Liam Picken, Lin Jong, Roarke Smith, Ben Cavarra
SHANE SAVAGE $481,300 DEF — 102 POINTS
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. After burning plenty of coaches last year, Shane Savage has once again had a superb JLT Series. Backing up the 93 he scored the previous week, Savage looked good streaming out of defence amassing 19 disposals, nine marks and six tackles at an impressive 89% efficiency. Given the fact Savage has earnt his place as the designated kick-in taker for St Kilda, he could be a set for his best season yet. With saying this, we saw him dominate JLT 2018 and he failed to crack a 90 average at seasons end. Select him with caution!
MITCH WALLIS $498,800 FWD/MID — 89 POINTS
Mitch Wallis is quietly flying under the radar as a tantalising forward option. After a breakout year as a crafty goal-scorer last season, he surprisingly looks set for more midfield time in 2019. He was fantastic against the Saints accumulating 26 disposals (12 contested), five clearances and a goal in 74 per cent time on ground. In 2015, Wallis managed to average 98.5 points playing as a permanent midfielder and will be a great POD if he can replicate this effort. The concern lies with the fact that the Bulldogs have countless inside midfielders and Wallis is one of the midfielders that is adaptable enough to play forward as well. You can’t count on him being a permanent midfielder each week, but he can still score regardless.
SEB ROSS $558,400 MID — 101 POINTS
Saints vice-captain Seb Ross has been overshadowed by Jack Steele this JLT series, but he remains an interesting POD. Playing as an inside midfield, he managed to accumulate 24 disposals at 75 per cent efficiency with a team high five inside 50’s. He has gone at half pace so far, spending less than 80 per cent TOG in each pre-season game. The upside lies in the fact that the 6-6-6 format suits high possession players and this is exactly what Ross does best. All factors considered he will be a risk to start, but one to keep your eye on as an upgrade candidate.
JOSH DUNKLEY $516,300 FWD/MID — 107 POINTS
Dear Mr Beveridge, please play Josh in the midfield — Sincerely, the SuperCoach Community. It was a completely different role for this young pup in JLT2, as he spent a majority of his time in the engine room. He attended a total of 13 centre bounces, up from six the previous week. Dunkley scored a team high 107 points, racking up 29 disposals (13 contested), eight tackles and seven clearances, albeit at 58% disposal efficiency. There is no doubt he can average 100+ as a midfielder, but the Bulldogs have a bad habit of experimenting with their players’ roles. Dunkley will be a high risk/high reward option as his scoring depends on where he plays.
DARRAGH JOYCE $123,900 DEF — 53 Points
Irishman Darragh Joyce held his own against the Dogs and will likely play in Round 1. Playing on Josh Schache, the 21 year old had 12 disposals, nine marks with the most one-percenters for the Saints. He won’t wow you with his scoring prowess but with Jake Carlisles’ season ending injury, Joyce should have strong job security. Given the lack of cheaper defensive options, it may be worthwhile putting him on your bench.
TIM ENGLISH $310,600 RUCK — 85 POINTS
Tim English will no doubt be a top tier ruckman one day. The Dogs played him as the sole ruckman off the bench in this contest and he scored 85 points in just 45 per cent TOG. He totalled eight disposals to go along with 19 hitouts but faces an uphill battle to claim the number one role over Jackson Trengove. English will seemingly spend most of his time up forward this year with Trengove earning a bulk of the ruck duties. Stay away for now!
COLLINGWOOD 77 D CARLTON 73
While Collingwood led from the front for much of the afternoon, some better conversion in front of goal for the Blues and a different winner would have been had. It was an absolutely Treloar-some performance from Adam ($594,200, MID) in his first JLT appearance. He not only collected 42 disposals, but Treloar also provided some great feedback suggesting that midfielders whose game is built around accumulation should benefit the most from the extra space the 6-6-6 rule provides.
Highly selected rookie players in Michael Gibbons ($102,400, MID) and Will Setterfield ($144,900, FWD/MID) could not back up their exceptional JLT 1 games and both demonstrated the risk rookies pose when played on your SuperCoach field. Gibbons was less influential registering only 34 SuperCoach points from six disposals and five tackles. Setterfield was more respectable with a score of 60 SuperCoach points from 13 disposals and a goal. His forward role was again displayed all match and we should expect his scores to fluctuate frequently.
MISSING IN ACTION
Collingwood: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Daniel Wells, Taylor Adams, Jordan De Goey, Brayden Sier, Lynden Dunn, Matt Scharenberg
Carlton: Sam Docherty, Matthew Kreuzer, Caleb Marchbank, Darcy Lang, Jarrod Pickett, Tom Williamson
ADAM TRELOAR $594,200 MID — 128 POINTS
The consistently underrated Treloar burst onto the forefront of coaches minds with a blistering performance against the Blues, finding the ball consistently throughout the afternoon. It’s important to identify that Treloar is now ranked elite for goals per game for a genuine midfielder, as per Champion Data, and again slotted an important goal halfway through the third quarter. After averaging 111 SuperCoach points until the bye last season, Treloar certainly presents a fantastic point of difference with a low ownership of only seven per cent. With Treloar scoring over 100 points in 11 of his 14 matches last season, he remains a safe selection should SuperCoaches choose to start him.
STEELE SIDEBOTTOM $551,700 MID — 115 POINTS
Fresh off the back of his stellar year in 2018, Sidebottom has not missed a beat in returning to his predominantly wing role. The space provided by the new rules certainly benefit Sidebottom’s exceptional running prowess and this was on full display against the Blues, providing a link out of the defensive 50 with 31 disposals and 10 marks. The acquisition of Dayne Beams almost certainly forces Sidebottom more onto a wing in 2019, after averaging a career high 10 contested possessions per game last season. Expect Sidebottom to continue being the main handball-receive player in the Collingwood side, as his linking role was further demonstrated during this game after having 23 kicks to just eight handballs. Unfortunately for prospecting owners, Steele had a career season in 2018 but only managed 102 SuperCoach points per game. There seems to be a lack of upside in selecting Sidebottom at his starting price and therefore, look towards him during the season if he is tracking well for another career season.
DARCY MOORE $239,400 DEF/FWD — 97 POINTS
Moore’s stocks have been steadily rising over recent weeks and coaches finally had some vindication for their belief. Going head-to-head with young-gun Charlie Curnow for much of the match, Moore won the battle convincingly with Curnow’s only goal being helped by a little luck. After being a little wayward by foot in JLT 1, Moore was much more assured against the Blues running at 88 per cent disposal efficiency and producing a game-high eight rebound 50’s. The most favourable aspect of Moore’s JLT series however, was the fact he took the most kick-ins of any player with a total of 13 — from which he played on eight times. Moore is looking more and more likely to feature in our SuperCoach teams come Round 1 due to his combination of price, scoring ability and dual positional eligibility.
JACK CRISP $519,900 DEF — 99 POINTS
The forgotten man amongst a pre-season littered with manifestos surrounding kick-in specialists and good disposers by foot, Crisp brought his name back to the top of many coaches’ lists for their ‘D2’ positions after a brilliant performance. With 33 disposals and 12 marks, Crisp was simply everywhere down back. The only thing stopping him from putting up the three-figure SuperCoach score was the fact he contributed 8 clangers for the match and only went at a disposal efficiency of 66 per cent. Going under the radar most weeks, Crisp has developed into the complete half-back defender who ranks elite for disposals, contest possessions and pressure for a general defender as per Champion Data. Crisp also played slightly higher up the ground during the match against the Blues and this is demonstrated by the fact he had a similar number of inside 50’s to rebound 50’s. He remains a very solid option to consider for your defence and definitely under-owned at just six per cent ownership.
KADE SIMPSON $570,300 DEF — 105 POINTS
In a stark contrast to JLT 1, Simpson and Nic Newman seemingly rotated roles and Simpson spent a lot more time receiving the ball to transition out of the defensive 50. In JLT 1 Newman lead the way with 20 disposals and six rebound 50’s compared to Simpson’s 14 disposals and three rebound 50’s. Fast-forward a week and Simpson lead the way with 28 disposals and seven rebound 50’s compared to Newman’s 10 disposals and four rebound 50’s. This makes it extremely difficult to guarantee who will be the designated conduit to escape the defensive 50 on any given week. It would take a brave coach to suggest that Simpson will fall far away from his 105 average from 2018, but it seems that there is the potential for Newman to snag some of Simpson’s disposal now that the Blues have a genuine second option to help escape the defensive 50.
CHARLIE CURNOW $420,400 FWD — 55 POINTS
Tipped by many for a breakout season (mostly due to photos snapped of him taking a dip at the beach), Curnow looks in ripping nick to muscle his way to more SuperCoach points in 2019. However, he is clearly earmarked to continue his forward role serviced by an underpowered Blues midfield. He certainly has the potential to become a superstar of the competition, but playing predominantly as a forward is sure to hurt his scoring potential. Matched up on Darcy Moore for much of the day, Curnow couldn’t quite get his game going. A single goal from 91 per cent time-on-ground is simply not enough to be a reliable scorer in our SuperCoach sides. The signs couldn’t be stronger to suggest finding another player for your forward line. He is unlikely to reach a seasonal average of 95-100 that is required to justify picking him in your starting squad at over $400,000.
MORE FREAKO: WHAT KICK-IN RULES MEAN FOR SUPERCOACH
STATS INSIDER: SOLVING THE SUPERCOACH RUCK RIDDLE
CHAMPION DATA: THE OTHER BIG CHANGE TO KICK-INS
WEST COAST 109 D FREMANTLE 58
Fremantle and the Eagles faced off in Mandurah for their final JLT match before the season proper. It was a tight contest early before the class of the reigning premiers prevailed, resulting in a comfortable win. Grand Final hero Dom Sheed continued to impress, while Rioli and Darling showed what could be one of the best forward duos in the league for years to come.
MISSING IN ACTION
West Coast: Josh Kennedy, Nic Naitanui, Jamie Cripps
Fremantle: Nat Fyfe, Aaron Sandilands, Stephen Hill, Harley Bennell, Connor Blakely
ELLIOT YEO $585,500 MID — 74 POINTS
It wasn’t the best JLT series for the star Eagle after posting scores of 91 and 74. Quite a few coaches are looking to Elliot Yeo as a point of difference starting option after posting a 108 average in 2018. Yeo had a delayed pre-season with a toe injury and may be slightly underdone as he didn’t quite play a full game in either contest. If you were on the fence for starting Yeo, then you might be more comfortable looking elsewhere in a midfielder that has completed a full pre-season.
DOM SHEED $394,100 MID — 134 POINTS
Dom Sheed is still riding the wave of adrenaline from the Grand Final after posting two huge scores in the JLT. 39 and 40 disposals for Sheed in his JLT games have thrust him into the conversation for the best mid-price midfielder to start — scores of 144 and 134 are extremely hard to ignore. Sheed has shown a high ceiling in the past but those scores have been few and far between. Sheed started to score particularly well last season only once Gaff was suspended. With Gaff back shortly after the season begins, can Sheed be trusted for the entire season?
JACK DARLING $471,700 FWD — 96 POINTS
Jack Darling was fantastic in 2018, though his average doesn’t show it accurately, due to a couple of injury affected games. Darling seems to be continuing his fine form into this year, posting a respectable score despite a horror day in front of the big sticks, kicking one goal and four behinds. Jack Darling does everything you want for a modern day key forward, from kicking goals to pushing up the field as a link man — perfect for Supercoach. Key forwards can be tough to pick in Supercoach as they are usually inconsistent, although, at least one always creeps into the top six forwards come seasons end. In 2019, Jack Darling is the favourite to be that guy.
MICHAEL WALTERS $476,800 FWD/MID — 92 POINTS
It was the classic 18 disposals and seven tackles in 68% time on ground for Walters on Sunday night. Walters has been playing his regular midfield and forward role this preseason and has put up respectable scores in restricted game time in both JLT matches. The ‘F3’ position has to be the most difficult position to pick in our starting teams and the Fremantle gun has given us positive signs for 2019. It will take a brave soul to take Walters due to his inconsistent history and label as a “burn man”. Lachie Neale left a void in the midfield, so hopefully Walters can see a more regular role inside and lift his Supercoach game to the next level.
ROOKIE BIBLE: EVERY SUPERCOACH ROOKIE REVIEWED
EVERY SCORE: SEE WHO SCORED WHAT IN THE JLT SERIES
EXPERT: SEE JONATHAN BROWN’S SUPERCOACH TEAM
JACK PETRUCELLE $123,900 FWD — 87 POINTS
The young Eagle seems to have found a good role on his team, finding himself in damaging positions that result in scores for himself or a teammate — evident by posting three inside 50s and two goals. Petrucelle had a few games under his belt last year but only posted an average of 21. While that may scare some people off, it may be a blessing in disguise, as it has kept his price low. Jack seems a lot more comfortable at the senior level, has worked heavily on his tank in the pre-season and should be a worthwhile rookie pick if he is named in Round 1.
JESSE HOGAN $498,300 FWD — 91 POINTS
It was a solid night for the new Docker, posting 20 disposals, five marks and a goal. Hogan showed us last year what he can do and he has backed it up in the JLT. Let’s face it — consistency is going to be the issue for Hogan. The key forward had six scores of 65 or less in 2018, including a low in the 30s, which hurt any chance of becoming a top forward in 2018. It’s going to be harder for Jesse to find a consistent year as most have Fremantle pegged as being a bottom team and therefore, will result in less chances to score than last year with Melbourne. While Hogan does have the ability to be a great Supercoach scorer, his low floor will make it hard for us to start him, but possibly a cheap upgrade option throughout season 2019.
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