KFC SuperCoach 2021: Best point-of-difference picks in the midfield

One of the biggest stars in KFC SuperCoach is in less than 6 per cent of teams. What’s going on?

This might just be the most uncertain KFC SuperCoach season yet for midfielders.

Most pre-seasons, coaches can confidently bank on 5-6 starting midfielders worth more than $550,000.

In 2021, even SuperCoach stud Lachie Neale is entering the season with an injury cloud.

But as always, there are top-scoring option who continue to fly under the radar.

And one KFC SuperCoach favourite is being left virtually untouched compared to previous seasons.

If you are hunting for a point-of-difference (POD) – a player with under 10 per cent ownership – for your midfield, you have come to the right place. Check out the top 10 hidden gems to spice up your midfield.

Marcus Bontempelli (WB) $623,900

2020 average: 116.1 (17 matches)

Ownership: 5.9 per cent

Hang on, are we sure that ownership percentage is right?

Usually a household KFC SuperCoach name, Bontempelli is in fewer than 6 per cent of teams a month out from the season.

The uncertainty surrounding the Bulldogs midfield group after the arrival of ball magnet Adam Treloar appears to be scaring coaches off, coupled with the unpredictability of magnet man Luke Beveridge.

The club has hinted at more forward minutes for Bontempelli and one would assume he is the most likely of the Bulldogs’ centre-square brigade to be moved inside 50 due to his damaging impact as a forward – but is that necessarily a bad thing for The Bont?

Bontempelli posted 11 tons last season and he kicked a goal or more in eight of those 100-plus totals, after hitting the scoreboard in seven of his 13 centuries in 2019.

Moreover, the news of a calf injury to Treloar may mean he is not impacted as much as first thought.

SC verdict: His high ceiling and capacity to lift in big moments – when KFC SuperCoach scaling is intensified – makes him an option you can’t ignore.

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Marcus Bontempelli is being overlooked by most KFC SuperCoach players.

Zach Merrett (Ess) $620,900

2020 average: 116.1 (17 matches)

Ownership: 7.3 per cent

One thing became abundantly clear about Merrett in 2020: opposition teams will let him run around and do as he pleases.

Maybe this is due to coaches “backing in their systems” against a below-par Essendon midfield group or the myth that Merrett does nothing with his possessions. Nonetheless, it left his KFC SuperCoach owners grinning from ear to ear.

As the No.1 man in the Essendon midfield, Merrett averaged a career-high 115.6 KFC SuperCoach points and 26.3 disposals per game – ranked fourth in competition.

His finish to the season was sublime, registering eight 110-plus totals in his last nine matches — the other score was a 99 — at a formidable average of 123.7.

This was despite the Bombers recording just one win in the back half of the year.

SC verdict: Of the midfielders priced around $630,000, he may just be the best of the lot. Ultra-consistent and being overlooked yet again.

Zach Merrett delivers great bang for your buck.

Jarryd Lyons (Bris) $604,600

2020 average: 112.5 (17 matches)

Ownership: 1.2 per cent

Lyons was able to thrive alongside superstar Lachie Neale in 2020, eclipsing the 110-mark on 14 of his 17 appearances and averaging 112.2 points per game.

The bullocking inside midfielder won the ninth-most clearances in the competition despite his partner in crime being ranked fifth for the same statistic.

Lyons remained a shrewd point-of-difference pick for coaches throughout the season and this year is no different, currently sitting in about one in every 100 teams.

And with Neale experiencing an interrupted pre-season due to a calf injury, Lyons may have to shoulder more midfield responsibility in the early stages of 2021.

SC verdict: Starting both Neale and Lyons is a possibility, but it will depend how deep you bat in the midfield. May be one to consider as an upgrade if he can maintain the rage.

Everyone forgets about Jarryd Lyons.

Andrew Gaff (WC) $570,800

2020 average: 106.2 (17 matches)

Ownership: 3.2 per cent

Gaff lost a touch of his trademark consistency last season but still managed to average 106.2 points – his third successive season average above 105.

He fell below 70 points on three occasions, which is unusual for the gut-running midfielder.

However, the most significant stat for Gaff in 2020 was his form away from Perth Stadium – a venue where he averages 107.8 points across his career.

Gaff went at an impressive 111.2 points per game outside of Western Australia, which bodes well for his overall scoring.

Equally important for Gaff is the return to 20-minute quarters and reduced interchanges that should work his favour as a player renowned for his endurance.

SC verdict: He is worth looking at with increased game-length and more matches at Perth Stadium in 2021.

Matt Crouch (Adel) $594,700)

2020 average: 110.7 (16 matches)

Ownership: 2.8 per cent

Crouch responded emphatically after his shock Round 4 axing last season, falling below 100 points on only three occasions in his following 13 games.

He averaged a whopping 115.9 points in this period, including a four-game stretch of 132, 133, 162 and 148 towards the end of the season with Rory Laird also stationed in the guts.

Crouch’s impressive campaign saw him finish fifth in the AFL for effective disposals per game, first for handballs per game and sixth for uncontested possessions per game.

While the 25-year-old’s ball-winning ways should continue in 20-minute quarters, there is a question mark over whether his scores will stack up with reduced scaling on offer.

SC verdict: He has burnt us before but there is merit in starting the prolific Crow.

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Matt Crouch and Rory Laird could combine in the Crows midfield this year. Picture: Sarah Reed

Andrew Brayshaw (Frem) $544,200

2020 average: 101.3 (17 matches)

Ownership: 1.2 per cent

An enhanced midfield role saw Brayshaw go to the next level in 2020 after a slow start to the season, churning out six straight KFC SuperCoach tons from Round 5 onwards at an average of 126.7.

In total, Brayshaw eclipsed the 120-point barrier five times last season as he began to show why he was taken with the second selection in the 2017 national draft.

His lower returns to start the season obscures his 2020 form line, with his lost forward eligibility leaving him at an ownership of just 1.2 per cent.

Brayshaw showed signs of an uber-premium scorer last season and with dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe likely to spend more time up forward, there is scope for a further spike in his scoring.

SC verdict: It would be brave to start him but he’s a selection that could pay off.

Sam Walsh (Carl) $543,300

2020 average: 101.1 (17 matches)

Ownership: 9.3 per cent

There were no second-year blues for Sam Walsh.

Walsh’s back half of the year was phenomenal, averaging 118 points in his last nine matches after Carlton’s bye, including back-to-back scores of 132 and 161.

The whispers out of Ikon Park are that Walsh will be spending more time in the coalface in his third season, which should only increase his KFC SuperCoach output.

The glittering youngster has already scored 14 tons in his 39 matches to start his career and he appears set to go up another gear after averaging 101.1 points last season.

SC verdict: The best unique midfielder — for scoring potential and price — on offer. Although he may not be below 10 per cent ownership for long.

Sam Walsh is heading to premium territory fast.

Jy Simpkin made a flying start to 2020.

Jy Simpkin (North Melb) $499,700

2020 average: 93 (17 matches)

Ownership: 3.8 per cent

This is how to kick off a KFC SuperCoach breakout season: 131, 104, 140, 119, 97 and 127.

Simpkin averaged 119 points across the first six rounds of 2020 as he cemented his place as a full-time midfielder at the Roos.

But then an in-game injury in Round 7 and increased opposition attention set off a run of underwhelming returns, with another setback in Round 16 making his average dip further.

Without those injury-affected games – where he played 61 per cent and 45 per cent game-time respectively – his 2020 average bumps up to 98.4.

Skipper Jack Ziebell has talked up Simpkin’s pre-season and his blistering start to 2020 suggests he could push a 110-average this year.

SC verdict: You’re probably choosing between Simpkin and Rowell at the price, and it’s hard to go past Rowell.

Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melb) $432,800

2020 average: 80.6 (9 matches)

Ownership: 1.6 per cent

It is hard not to get excited about a player labelled a ‘Judd-like’ midfielder.

We saw glimpses of Davies-Uniacke’s potential towards the end of last season, posting a career-high 129 KFC SuperCoach points against Port Adelaide and a 93-point effort in Round 18.

Davies-Uniacke is another Roo that has been commended for his pre-season and a breakout campaign looms large for the former top-five pick.

Could he be the ‘Brayshaw breakout’ of 2021?

SC verdict: I would snap him up if he was a FWD/MID but options like Ben Cunnington and Tim Taranto have greater appeal at a similar price.

Brayden Sier (Coll) $313,800

2020 average: 73 (3 matches)

Ownership: 1.2 per cent

The man affectionately known as “Phil Inn” managed just the three games in 2020 as injuries book-ended his season.

In 2021, Sier could benefit from greater midfield opportunity in an Adam Treloar-less Collingwood midfield.

Sier tallied 23 touches, eight clearances and 97 KFC SuperCoach points in Round 10 last year, lifting after Treloar went down with a calf injury in the third term.

As Taylor Adams races the clock for Round 1 with a groin issue, Sier may have to shoulder more responsibility in the engine room.

The hulking 191cm onballer has shown promise in the VFL in previous seasons, averaging 23.5 disposal, 12.2 contested possessions, 4.8 tackles and 90 KFC SuperCoach points in six VFL matches in 2019 and going at 92 points per game in 2018.

SC verdict: Watch his role and output with interest this pre-season. However, Dyson Heppell looks a better buy at the same price.

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach 2021: Best point-of-difference picks in the midfield