The Phantom’s Trade Talk: The one stat that separates top SuperCoach defenders James Sicily and Luke Ryan

With both players coming off the bye, James Sicily and Luke Ryan are great upgrade targets in defence — but there’s one statistic that separates them. Recap The Phantom’s trade chat.

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RECAP THE PHANTOM’S TRADE CHAT IN THE COMMENTS BELOW

James Sicily and Luke Ryan: By average, both are top-seven SuperCoach defenders.

They are well-priced at less than $525k.

And both are coming off the bye and will be there to help over the next two weeks.

But it’s unlikely you will be trading both in to your team ahead of Round 13.

With so many similarities, the decision isn’t an easy one.

Sicily has posted six SuperCoach tons this year and Ryan four.

But making up for this deficit is the Docker defender’s three scores of 130 or more — Sicily’s highest score for the year is 127.

Highlighting their consistency, Ryan (78) and Sicily (75) have recorded only one score of less than 80.

Sicily has taken 29 intercept marks in 2019, Ryan has 28.

For total intercept possessions, Ryan, who averages more than any other player in the game, has tallied 103.

Coming in at No. 6 in the competition, Sicily has won possession from an opposition disposal 95 times.

And the similarities don’t end at how they are winning the ball with Ryan and Sicily equally as effective by foot.

Both average 23 disposals per game and rank inside the AFL’s top 10 for effective kicks with Sicily’s 156 just ahead of Ryan’s 150.

While Sicily averages three more rebound 50s, given he pushes further up the ground, Ryan has made 16 less clangers.

But there’s one statistic which should help SuperCoaches make their decision.

While Sicily does play-on when he gets the chance, at Hawthorn, Blake Hardwick is the No. 1 kick-in man this season.

On the other hand, Ryan has taken the fourth-most kick-ins of any player in the competition, let alone at Fremantle, and only Jake Lloyd, Shannon Hurn, Tom Stewart and Caleb Daniel have played on more.

His 71 for the season is 38 more than Sicily’s 2019 tally.

“I think they will both average similar points but the one thing that possibly gives Ryan the advantage is kick-in duties,” Champion Data’s Fantasy Freako told The Phantom’s Lair Podcast.

PLAYER	James Sicily	Luke Ryan
Disposals	258	251
Effective disposals	208	210
Effective kicks	156	150
Intercept possessions	95	103
Intercept marks	29	28
Rebound 50s	92	59
Kick-ins	33	71

If the opposition is precise with its ball movement going forward, the effect of the intercepting defender will be limited.

And if that does happen on occasion to both sides in the back-half of the season, Ryan will still have the kick-ins to bump up his tally.

Despite the extra $30k — and that will be a big issue for some SuperCoach during the bye-rounds, that’s why, along with his very high ceiling, The Phantom will be going with Ryan.

Originally published as The Phantom’s Trade Talk: The one stat that separates top SuperCoach defenders James Sicily and Luke Ryan