Herald Sun footy writers Glenn McFarland and Jon Ralph reveal their 2021 KFC SuperCoach teams

Herald Sun footy writer Glenn McFarlane has waited decades to pick a Daicos on KFC SuperCoach. But there is more than sentiment to his pick. SEE HIS TEAM

Glenn McFarlane

6 min read

March 17, 2021 - 10:17AM

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In: Daicos.

I’ve been waiting to say that for a lot longer than I’ve been picking SuperCoach teams.

Collingwood legend Peter Daicos had long been retired when footy’s greatest fantasy game was born all those years ago.

But it hasn’t stopped me from wondering how the man known as the Macedonian Marvel would have fared in the KFC SuperCoach stakes.

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Chances are, he would have been every bit as good at that as he was on the old-style stats sheet across his 250 games from 1979 to 1993 — with 549 goals to his name.

Many of those games and goals are etched in the mind forever.

To the best of my knowledge, the only Daicos game retrospectively reviewed from a SuperCoach perspective was the 1990 Grand Final.

We organised that for the 20-year anniversary of the game in 2010, but his score of 58 belied his importance in the game.

He kicked two crucial goals, taking his yearly tally to an unforgettable 97, and helped the Magpies break a 32-year premiership drought.

But just imagine if the Champion Data team had been there to measure his 13.1 against Brisbane in 1991 when an opposition coach claimed the only way to stop him that night would have been to “shoot him”.

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Will Josh Daicos be this year’s KFC SuperCoach breakout star?

Or his nine goals from 18 disposals against Richmond a decade earlier.

Or his run of 39 and 37 disposals in successive weeks in 1989.

Or when he kicked eight goals to Gary Ablett Sr’s seven in Daicos’s fourth-last game in 1993, when one journalist said watching him at Victoria Park was “like Jack Nicklaus playing a great round at Augusta, or Don Bradman cracking a century at Lords.”

Someone please stop me … now. I could go on forever.

The point of all this is to say that the time has come for me to include Daicos’s talented son Josh in my SuperCoach team for 2021.

He’s not there just because of his surname, though it certainly helps.

Josh’s development last year in his fourth senior season warmed the hearts of Collingwood supporters as he not only won the goal of the year, but also locked in a spot in the Magpies’ team going forward.

He uses the ball superbly (so important in SuperCoach), he knows where the goals are and he will get even more midfield time this year.

Daicos can build on his 2020 average of 82 (up almost 30 on the previous year).

Don’t worry about his modest score in the pre-season clash with Richmond.

I’m tipping he can push into the 100s this season to more than justify his $442,200 price tag.

How is he only in 2 per cent of teams? That’s what you call a point of difference.

He is fast becoming a very good AFL player in his own right.

Just imagine the excitement when there is another Daicos to choose from next year, with Nick set to join Josh in black and white in 2022.

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Marcus Bontempelli can score points in the midfield and up forward. Picture: Michael Klein

Getting your starting mids right is the key to SuperCoach success.

Lachie Neale ($721,800) is a must-have mid at any price; Patrick Cripps ($523,700) is super value given he is fitter in 2021; Matt Rowell ($495,100) is an absolute lock; and I’m tipping the Bont to win the Brownlow, so he was also an automatic selection at $623,900, despite a flirtation with Jack Macrae.

Swan Braedon Campbell, Kangaroo Tom Powell and Hawk Connor Downie were the best of the midfield cheapies, and hopefully will make their presence felt almost from the get-go.

Cheap options in defence were tough this year and we’ll be sweating on what happens with the final Round 1 teams.

Jake Lloyd ($656,400) and Rory Laird ($564,800) have been part of my squad for years now and consistently deliver.

I’m tipping Jack Dyer Medallist Jayden Short ($519,300) is going to be a lock for 2021 and well beyond.

The rule tweaks should suit him big time.

Jordan Clark ($241,800) is going to get more exposure with the Cats this year and his AAMI Community Series form showed why so many people are tipping a breakout season.

The Danger and Dusty show in the forward line was a must at the collective price-tag, especially with their dual position roles.

Wish I had been able to afford Jack Ziebell as he is ridiculously good value if his body holds up, but the dollars fell just short unfortunately. So I went with Joe Daniher ($233,300) and I’m praying the Lions have found the elixir for his career revival.

This is my 2021 team for now … but the one great certainty is the time-honoured late Thursday reshuffle as the time ticks down to the Richmond-Carlton season-opener.

Glenn McFarlane's KFC SuperCoach team is primed for Round 1.

JON RALPH’S BIG SUPERCOACH SECRET

- Jon Ralph

I have full respect for the KFC SuperCoach gurus who sweat over every break-even points value, cash cow and dual-position threat.

Confession — after all these years of SuperCoach I don’t even know how to enact the captaincy loophole.

So here is my Set And (Mostly) Forget team.

It’s for all those people who love playing SuperCoach but if they are honest might forget to change their team every third or fourth week and still want a fighting chance in their workplace league.

So here are the key tenets.

Don’t get sucked into injury-prone players.

Don’t get sucked into too many of the AAMI Series darlings (that means you, Paddy Dow).

Don’t get too excited about that Round 1 smoky who could get sink without a trace (that means you, James Jordan).

And instead of going for Christian Petracca, try to find the 2021 version of Petracca.

Bombers star Zach Merrett is a safe pick in KFC SuperCoach. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

Those point of difference players make it more fun for me because I can revel in the fact I saw their upside.

It might not get me into the top 1000, but them’s the breaks.

You still need the kids that everyone will take as cash cow rookies early because there is a reason they are hyped.

Don’t be afraid to steal the research from those who have put in the hard yards.

It allows you to make the money that will see you cash in and take some players who are from the path less travelled.

Like many, the backline is stacked with possession monsters in Jake Lloyd, Caleb Daniel and Jayden Short.

But it’s impossible to ignore Jordan Clark given his price ($241,800) and likely role on the wing for the Cats.

Jordan Clark is set for a key role at the Cats this year.

I am sure the experts would say that he is an awkward price, but I think that he, Jarman Impey ($212,800) and Jye Caldwell ($348,600) are the kind of players who you can forget about and eight weeks later will have made you $150,000 to $200,000.

The Hawks have to give Impey and important role given their lack of run and his pace.

And the Dons will give Caldwell heaps of onball opportunities given he will farm it out to the Dons runners.

So that trio might not be value, but they should play every week.

Similarly, Isaac Smith is the kind of player who Geelong will be desperate to utilise with his raking kick, so he’s a risk but he’s my risk.

He might just make or break my side given there are probably much safer picks at $397,600, but since when did playing safe win you SuperCoach?

Jye Caldwell has lots of upside for Essendon. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

James Jordan might be cheap as chips but will he be in the team in Round 5 when Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca all up and running?

Almost all of my kids are from teams that are desperate to keep blooding younger players.

It means no one like Riley Collier-Dawkins or Will Martyn who might make money but will likely still be sitting on my bench in Round 8 scoring doughnuts.

And if Sam Walsh and Matt Rowell aren’t absolute premiums, they should be by Round 10.

So it’s the kind of team that won’t get me in too much trouble on Friday morning when I forget to lock in some changes.

And the kind of team that might give me some bragging rights when I can say, “Yeah, but I picked him”, even as my team will be as mediocre as it has most years.