SuperCoach 2015: Which players can help your team get off to a fast start this season?

LOOKING for a fast start to your Nissan SuperCoach season? Then look no further than some of the game’s biggest names.

Josh Kennedy during the Sydney Swans first day of pre season training. pic. Phil Hillyard

LOOKING for a fast start to your Nissan SuperCoach season? Then look no further than the game’s biggest name.

A look at average scores from the previous five seasons shows Gold Coast superstar Gary Ablett is worth every cent in Australia’s favourite fantasy footy game. And perhaps no more so than in the opening weeks of the AFL season.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE TOP 5 PLAYERS OUT OF THE BLOCKS AT YOUR CLUB

Gary Ablett tends to bring his best in the early rounds. Will it be the same in 2015 as he battles back from a shoulder injury? Picture Mike Batterham

In fact, the numbers reveal that Ablett asserts his supremacy as the game’s No.1 player in the opening weeks of the year.

So if you’re thinking of bypassing the Suns skipper in the early rounds, a look at the numbers below might sway you the other way, with ‘Gazza’ averaging a whopping 15 points more than his nearest peer — Pies’ skipper Scott Pendlebury.

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GAZZA: THE CASES FOR AND AGAINST

But there might be some mid-priced gems to be found — if you’re willing to back in some seasoned SuperCoach stars who are growing a little long in the tooth.

Scott Pendlebury is a proven fast starter. Picture: Norm Oorloff

Averages from the past five seasons, not surprisingly, show a who’s who of the AFL.

Of the top 25 names listed, 14 will be 30 or older this year, with Paul Chapman (34 in November) the oldest of the bunch.

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Last year’s ‘fast starters’ list was headed by GWS ruckman Shane Mumford, who relegated Ablett to second.

Mumford’s Giants’ teammate Adam Treloar — this year priced at $577,800 — also figured, averaging a superb 118 points to be the youngest player on the list.

So it might be time for SuperCoaches to ask themselves: ‘Is it out with the old and in with the new?’

Adam Treloar may be the way of the future for SuperCoaches.

BURSTING OUT OF THE BLOCKS

Average SuperCoach scores for first five rounds 2010-14

1. Gary Ablett (Geelong/GC) — 140.3 (22 matches) $734,600

2. Scott Pendlebury (Coll) — 124.9 (25) $668,800

3. Aaron Sandilands (Frem) — 119.2 (19) $580,800

4. Dane Swan (Coll) — 117.3 (25) $464,500

5. Matthew Boyd (WB) — 115.6 (20) $526,200

6. Joel Selwood (Geel) — 114 (24) $649,900

7. Marc Murphy (Carl) — 113.4 (25) $570,000

8. Jobe Watson (Ess) — 113.2 (25) $574,800

9. Nick Riewoldt (St K) — 109.7 (22) $493,500

10. Jimmy Bartel (Geel) — 109.2 (25) $549,000

11. Josh P Kennedy (Syd) — 108.8 (24) $612,200

12. Brent Stanton (Ess) — 108.5 (24) $491,300

13. Paul Chapman (Geel/Ess) — 108 (22) $516,000

14. Tom Rockliff (Bris) — 107.9 (21) $709,500

15. Brendon Goddard (St K/Ess) — 107.6 (23) $548,800

16. Brett Deledio (Rich) — 107.4 (22) $553,300

17. Nathan Fyfe (Frem) — 107.1 (18) $657,600

18. Leigh Montagna (St K) — 106.3 (22) $480,300

19. Michael Barlow (Frem) — 105.7 (17) $600,400

20. Sam Mitchell (Haw) — 105.1 (22) $490,000

21. Kane Cornes (PA) — 104.7 (23) $472,800

22. Nick Dal Santo (St K/NM) — 104.6 (24) $553,100

23. Chris Judd (Carl) — 104.5 (18) $486,900

24. Andrew Swallow (NM) — 104.4 (19) $500,600

25. Rory Sloane (Adel) — 103.3 (17) $616,900

2014: TOP 25 AVERAGES FOR ROUNDS 1-5

CLUB BY CLUB: SEE THE TOP 5 FOR EACH CLUB IN 2014

YOUR CLUB’S FAST STARTERS

Average SuperCoach scores for Rounds 1-5, 2010-14

ADELAIDE

Rory Sloane 103

Scott Thompson 101

Sam Jacobs 94

Patrick Dangerfield 92

Brent Reilly 82

BRISBANE LIONS

Tom Rockliff 108

Dayne Zorko 98

Dayne Beams 95

Jack Redden 92

Pearce Hanley 91

CARLTON

Marc Murphy 113

Chris Judd 104

Bryce Gibbs 101

Kade Simpson 98

Ed Curnow 92

COLLINGWOOD

Scott Pendlebury 125

Dane Swan 117

Steele Sidebottom 99

Travis Cloke 89

Jamie Elliott 89

ESSENDON

Jobe Watson 113

Brent Stanton 109

Paul Chapman 108

Brendon Goddard 108

Dyson Heppell 97

FREMANTLE

Aaron Sandilands 119

Nat Fyfe 107

Michael Barlow 106

David Mundy 101

Matthew Pavlich 98

GEELONG

Joel Selwood 114

Jimmy Bartel 109

Corey Enright 95

James Kelly 93

Steve Johnson 93

GOLD COAST

Gary Ablett 140

Nick Malceski 96

Jaeger O’Meara 95

David Swallow 94

Michael Rischitelli 90

GWS GIANTS

Ryan Griffen 102

Callan Ward 100

Shane Mumford 100

Heath Shaw 97

Adam Treloar 92

HAWTHORN

Sam Mitchell 105

Luke Hodge 97

Cyril Rioli 95

Grant Birchall 95

Shaun Burgoyne 95

MELBOURNE
Daniel Cross 101

Nathan Jones 94

Jack Grimes 92

Mark Jamar 90

Heritier Lumumba 84

NORTH MELBOURNE

Nick Dal Santo 105

Andrew Swallow 104

Brent Harvey 99

Daniel Wells 93

Todd Goldstein 84

PORT ADELAIDE

Kane Cornes 105

Ollie Wines 103

Hamish Hartlett 98

Travis Boak 94

Justin Westhoff 93

RICHMOND

Brett Deledio 107

Trent Cotchin 103

Dustin Martin 93

Ivan Maric 88

Bachar Houli 84

ST KILDA

Nick Riewoldt 110

Leigh Montagna 106

Sam Fisher 90

Jack Steven 88

David Armitage 87

SYDNEY SWANS

Josh P. Kennedy 109

Jarrad McVeigh 98

Kieren Jack 97

Lance Franklin 97

Luke Parker 95

WEST COAST

Matt Priddis 101

Luke Shuey 92

Scott Selwood 91

Beau Waters 91

Jack Darling 87

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Matthew Boyd 116

Luke Dahlhaus 91

Tom Liberatore 91

Jack Macrae 88

Will Minson 87

Originally published as SuperCoach 2015: Which players can help your team get off to a fast start this season?