The Phantom’s Round 3 Review: The good, the bad and the new forward-line hero

IS it time we start talking about the second-ranked SuperCoach forward in the game, Jesse Hogan, as a genuine premium option? After another dominant display in Round 3, The Phantom thinks so. Plus, listen to the latest Phantom’s Lair podcast.

The Phantom Round 3 Review

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IT’S time we start talking about the second-ranked forward in the game.

On Saturday, Jesse Hogan worked up and down the MCG, tallying 26 disposals, 12 contested possessions, seven marks, five inside 50s, 9 score involvements and one goal, resulting in a team-high 125 SuperCoach points.

After 145 points the previous week, it’s time we start taking Melbourne young gun seriously as a SuperCoach premium.

THE PUNT: SUPERCOACH PLAYERS YOU MUST TRADE OUT

It was a tough year for Hogan in 2017 with the key forward managing just 10 games while battling health and personal issues as well as a broken collarbone late in the season.

But the 23-year-old, who kicked 85 goals and averaged more than 77 SuperCoach points in his first two seasons in the game, is fit, healthy and, after enjoying terrific pre-season, has made a strong start to 2018.

Jesse Hogan had a great pre-season and it’s showing in his form over the opening three rounds.

While we haven’t seen him in the centre square on a consistent basis, as some pre-season reports suggested, Hogan’s workrate has been enormous in the opening three rounds, with the 195, 100kg key forward working higher up the ground to find more of the ball.

Hogan is averaging 21 disposals — a sharp spike from his figures of 13, 15 and 14 in the previous three seasons — six marks, four inside 50s and three goals per game so far this season.

Out of all SuperCoach forwards, only Swan star Lance Franklin has scored more points than Hogan, who is in just 5.7 per cent of teams.

While Hogan’s price increased by $54k this week, a break-even of -10 ahead of Round 4 means it’s set to rise even further over the coming weeks so, if you’re interested — and you should be — don’t wait too long.

THE GOOD

Tom Mitchell is more than good. If you are like me and do not yet own the top-scoring midfielder of 2018, you would’ve found it hard to watch Mitchell rack up another 149 points on Sunday at the MCG.

He’s just ALWAYS in the right spot and NEVER fumbles.

And he’s definitely becoming more damaging with the football in 2018.

What a star he is.

Bulldog Jack Macrae has been his side’s best performer in the opening three rounds.

The Phantom was asked over the weekend whether or not Bulldog Jack Macrae was the real deal? And the answer is an overwhelming yes. The ball magnet, who lifted his averaged from 94 to 107 in 2017, has enjoyed a consistent start to the year despite his team’s struggles.

It was a great week for most of the popular SuperCoach ruckmen.

Stef Martin (154) and Brodie Grundy (154) — who is only in six per cent of teams — and Callum Sinclair (152) were all in the top-5 scorers for the round, while Max Gawn (117) and Nic Naitanui (110), who, again, played only 56 per cent game-time, were important in their sides’ respective wins.

He was good last week but Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe was back to his dominant best against the Suns, registering a round-high 160 SuperCoach points, on the back of 38 disposals and 24 contested possessions. Another important lesson for those who traded him out after one game.

THE BAD

Gary Ablett looks set to miss an extended period after suffering a hamstring injury against the Eagles.

A soft tissue injury to Gary Ablett. While we all predicted it would happen at some stage in 2018, we were hoping it wouldn’t happen this early. There has been no official confirmation on Ablett’s right hamstring injury but coach Chris Scott suggest it may be more significant than his two-week pre-season lay-off.

Make sure you come back here on Wednesday for a big Ablett-inspired edition of The Phantom’s Trade Talk.

In the same game, rookie-price forward Liam Ryan injured his ankle in the act of kicking a match-sealing goal for the Eagles. The mature-age recruit still managed to tally 88 SuperCoach points, after booting three goals for the game, to add more than $76k to his price tag. Fingers crossed it’s not serious because Ryan, who has a break-even of -88, has plenty more cash to make. Monitor the situation as the week progresses.

Zach Merrett battled through a Bailey Banfield tag last week to post 95 points but was barely sighted at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Merrett only managed 13 disposals and 53 points to fall to $514k. He should respond but how long can we wait? More on that in Wednesday’s Trade Talk.

However, he wasn’t the only Bomber to struggle against the Bulldogs, with Devon Smith’s 86 the club’s highest score for the afternoon.

Elliot Yeo owners have every right to be angry but also need to be thankful — as do Eagles’ supporters — for his influential 34-point last quarter against the Cats. The 24-year-old, who lost more than $40k off his price tag, was on a staggering -7 points at three-quarter time after a number of clangers offset his limited number of touches up until that point. You have to hold, though because it’s unlikely Yeo is that bad again.

After his huge 133-point performance in the opening round, St Kilda’s Jack Billings has scored 79 and 54 points in the past two weeks to frustrate owners. In comparison to the first week of the year, Billings spent majority of the game in the forward-half against the Crows. But don’t panic just yet because the Saints need his creativity through the middle of the ground.

And, of course, the only ruckman that didn’t score well The Phantom has. Todd Goldstein had his colours lowered against Gawn in Round 3, tallying just two hit-outs-to-advantage and 57 points. Fingers crossed Braydon Preuss doesn’t make his way in on the back of Goldstein’s disappointing performance.

THE PHANTOM’S MENACE

Jared Polec (Port)

Polec obviously doesn’t have Allen Christensen in his SuperCoach team because, if he did, he would’ve let Christensen’s last-gasp snap go through for a goal, resulting in a big match-winning boost to his score.

THE PHANTOM’S ROUND 3

Score: 2132

Overall ranking: 20,117

Originally published as The Phantom’s Round 3 Review: The good, the bad and the new forward-line hero