KFC SuperCoach Hall of Fame: Who will go through to the final eight in the search for a SuperCoach legend?

Dean Cox set the standard for KFC SuperCoach ruckmen and Brodie Grundy has lifted the bar in the past two seasons. Only one can make our inaugural Hall of Fame. HAVE YOUR SAY

Unlike the previous rounds it is difficult to separate these eight match-ups of KFC SuperCoach greats.

There are no slouches in the SuperCoach Hall of Fame final 16, and it is up to the community to decide who will go through to the fourth round.

With four players set to be inducted into the SuperCoach Hall of Fame and one crowned a legend, who will make it through to the final eight?

SEE ALL EIGHT MATCH-UPS AND VOTE

SuperCoach Hall of Fame Round of 16

SuperCoach Hall of Fame Round of 16

SUPERCOACH HALL OF FAME ROUND OF 16

ABLETT V MITCHELL

GARY ABLETT (GEEL/GC)

Games played (2008-2020): 221, Average: 123, High score: 251, Highest season average: 140 (2009)

The Little Master needs no introduction. Ablett averaged 127 points or more in seven consecutive seasons between 2008 and 2014, and posted five SuperCoach doubletons through this period. In 2009, the dual Brownlow Medallist scored 139 or more in 12 of his 19 home-and-away matches. The first SuperCoach perma-captain.

TOM MITCHELL (SYD/HAW)

Games played (2008-2020): 112, Average: 108, High score: 192, Highest season average: 129 (2018)

Mitchell has always been a fantasy gun. There were big NEAFL numbers and big scores at the Swans, despite limited opportunity. But he didn’t earn his elite status until he arrived at Hawthorn. Mitchell posted SuperCoach tons in 20 of his first 22 matches as a Hawk in 2017 before nine scores of 150 or more in 2018 saw the left-footer averaged 129 points per game to win the Brownlow Medal.

Gary Ablett v Tom Mitchell – KFC SuperCoach Hall of Fame Rd of 16

KENNEDY V JUDD

JOSH P. KENNEDY (SYD/HAW)

Games played (2008-2020): 247, Average: 104, High score: 178, Highest season average: 120 (2012)

The contested-ball star was equally as reliable in his SuperCoach prime. After averaging 120 points per game, on the back of 17 SuperCoach tons, in a breakout 2012 season, Kennedy averaged 105 points or more in the next four seasons. The 31-year-old’s numbers may have fallen away in 2017 and 2018 but he bounced back last year with 11 SuperCoach tons and a 107-point average. And his 178 points in the final round would’ve helped many win a grand final.

CHRIS JUDD (CARL)

Games played (2008-2020): 145, Average: 106, HS: 196, Highest season average: 118 (2010)

This period covers the dual Brownlow Medallist’s time as a Blue and, while he was unbelievable at West Coast, his numbers at Carlton were very, very good, too. Judd posted 13 SuperCoach tons – four in excess of 150 – on his way to a 110-point average in his season at the club in 2018. And he passed that mark in each of the next four seasons. In his Brownlow year of 2010, the explosive midfielder broke the 140-point barrier in seven of his 19 home-and-away matches.

Kennedy v Judd – SuperCoach Hall of Fame Rd of 16

SWAN V PENDLEBURY

DANE SWAN (COLLINGWOOD)

Games played (2008-2020): 182, Average: 114, HS: 180, Highest season average: 129 (2010)

The Magpies ball magnet had five consecutive seasons averaging 117 or more and averaged 122 or more between 2009-2012. At his very best, Swan became one of the few players in KFC SuperCoach history whose price soared above $700,000. That happened in 2010, when the Brownlow Medal winner scored 19 tons in 22 matches. Two of the games he didn’t reach triple figures were 93 and 98 too. For sheer consistency, Swan ranks among the best KFC SuperCoach midfielders of all time.

SCOTT PENDLEBURY (COLLINGWOOD)

Games played (2008-2020): 270, Average: 114, HS: 184, Highest season average: 129 (2011)

The long-time Collingwood captain will be a KFC SuperCoach Hall of Fame member, it’s just a matter of when. In the earliest years of SuperCoach, Pendlebury was one of the stars who set the mark for other premium midfielders to aspire to. Few on-ballers have matched his career-high of 129.2 from 2011 and in four years from 2011-2014 his worst average was 124.4. The last time he didn’t average triple figures was 2007, his first full AFL campaign.

Swan v Pendlebury – SuperCoach Hall of Fame Rd of 16

GRUNDY V COX

BRODIE GRUNDY (COLLINGWOOD)

Games played (2008-2020): 133, Average: 104, HS: 179, Highest season average: 131 (2018 and 2019)

Grundy has etched himself into KFC SuperCoach folklore in the past two years, averaging 131 and 130 to establish himself as the No. 1 scorer in the game. He scored more than 150 points eight times in 2018 and five times last season. With the Magpies playing so many early-round blockbusters he’s the ever-present vice-captaincy option.

DEAN COX (WEST COAST)

Games played (2008-2020): 145, Average: 105, HS: 215, Highest season average: 122 (2011)

Paving the way for the modern-day mobile big man, West Coast premiership big man Cox was one of the first ruckmen to post genuine premium numbers in KFC SuperCoach. The star Eagle went as high as 122 in 2011, a season which was highlighted by his 213 and in which he posted 18 hundreds in 22 games. For consistency and durability, Cox ranks as one of SuperCoach’s most-reliable historical selections.

Grundy v Cox – SuperCoach Hall of Fame Rd of 16

GODDARD V ENRIGHT

BRENDON GODDARD (STK/ESS)

Games played (2008-2020): 244, Average: 104, High score: 184, Highest season average 131 (2010)

Brendon Goddard was a must-have defender during the late 2000s and early 2010s. Goddard averaged above 100 points in five straight seasons from 2008-2011, including an insane average of 131 in 2010. Goddard posted back-to-back scores of 162 SuperCoach points in the Grand Final and the replay of that season.

COREY ENRIGHT (GEEL)

Games played (2008-2020): 207, Average: 95, High score: 176, Highest season average 100 (2008)

While he never reached meteoric SuperCoach heights, Corey Enright showed remarkable consistency until the end of his career. From 2008 to his final year in 2016, Enright averaged more than 89 across every season, going out on a high with an impressive 99.5-point average at age 35.

Goddard v Chapman – SuperCoach Hall of Fame Rd of 16

BARTEL V HODGE

JIMMY BARTEL (GEEL)

Games played (2008-2020): 197, Average: 103, High score: 185, Highest season average 114 (2008)

Bartel excelled in all positions in SuperCoach – first as a midfielder, then a defender, and finally as a forward. In his career-best SuperCoach season of 2008, Bartel posted seven 120-plus scores in a row at the back-end of the season – five of those above 144. He also finished the 2013 home-and-away season with an average of 106 as a defender.

LUKE HODGE (HAW/BRIS)

Games played (2008-2020): 234, Average: 97, High score: 177, Highest season average 120 (2008)

The dual Norm Smith medallist reached SuperCoach glory with a 120 average in season 2008, and averaged above 105 points in three other seasons. Hodge averaged above 83 points in all but his final season, going at 97 points in his 234 games from 2008-2019.

Bartel v Hodge – SuperCoach Hall of Fame Rd of 16

CHAPMAN V MARTIN

PAUL CHAPMAN (GEEL/ESS)

Games played (2008-2020): 144, Average: 101, High score: 163, Highest season average 117 (2009)

Didn’t have the mercurial highs of some, but his consistency couldn’t be questioned; Chapman didn’t average under 95 in the first nine of his 10 years of SuperCoach scoring, only fading in his final season a the Bombers in 2015. In his best season (2009) he didn’t score below 80 the entire season and went over 120 nine times. His Round 3 performance against the Dockers that year – 28 disposals, three goals and nine tackles in a close loss – was a typical Chappy game.

DUSTIN MARTIN (RICH)

Games played (2008-2020): 225, Average: 101, High score: 164, Highest season average 122 (2017)

We all know how devastating Dusty can be on his day, but let’s focus on an under-appreciated aspect of his SuperCoach value. He made his debut in Round 1, 2010 (he was a quality rookie pick, averaging 78 for the year) and has missed just five games since – playing at least 20 matches every year for a decade and logging 216 of a possible 221 games. That’s just nuts. He cracked the ton for the first time in 2013 and his lowest season averages since then are 99.5 (2014) and 99.9 last year. Is there such a thing as an ultra-reliable explosive superstar?

Chapman v Dusty – SuperCoach Hall of Fame Rd of 16

RIEWOLDT V HARVEY

NICK RIEWOLDT (STK)

Games played (2008-2020): 202, Average: 100, High score: 187, Highest season average 116 (2009)

Another big-game specialist who produced his best SuperCoach performance against a hapless Daniel Merrett in Round 23, 2016, collecting 26 disposals, 21 marks and nine goals. Reviewing those numbers, 187 SuperCoach points looks undoers! Rooey was at the peak of his powers from 2006-2009 when he averaged at least 113 four years in a row, but even in his final season he averaged 86 over 17 matches.

BRENT HARVEY (NM)

Games played (2008-2020): 191, Average: 99, High score: 180, Highest season average 113 (2008)

In SuperCoach as in his AFL career, Boomer just kept going, and going, and going. Over 12 seasons his worst year was in 2009 when he averaged 88 points a game. Even in his final season he played every game and averaged 93 including a 112 and 150 in the SuperCoach finals – at age 38. Remarkable.

Riewoldt v Harvey – SuperCoach Hall of Fame Rd of 16

ROUND 2 RESULTS

Gary Ablett 95% of votes def Tendai Mzungu 5%

Tom Mitchell 93% def Rhys Palmer 7%

Josh P. Kennedy 66% def Michael Barlow 34%

Tom Rockliff 45% def by Chris Judd 55%

Dane Swan 93% def Sam Walsh 7%

Scott Pendlebury 53% def Patrick Dangerfield 47%

Brodie Grundy 94% def Hamish McIntosh 5%

Dean Cox 84% def Tony Olango 16%

Brendon Goddard 88% def Tom Doedee 12%

Jake Lloyd 42% def by Corey Enright 58%

Jimmy Bartel 60% def Heath Shaw 40%

Luke Hodge 87% def Greg Broughton 13%

Daniel Rich 14% def by Paul Chapman 86%

Dustin Martin 72% def Dayne Zorko 28%

Nick Riewoldt 85% def James Podsiadly 15%

Matthew Pavlich 49% def by Brent Harvey 51%

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach Hall of Fame: Who will go through to the final eight in the search for a SuperCoach legend?