Top SuperCoach picks from Cats and Geelong region ranked in order

Looking to add a Geelong flavour to your SuperCoach team? There are plenty of quality Cats and Geelong exports to choose from. We rank them here.

With the practice games done and dusted, it is time to lock in our SuperCoach teams — and there are plenty of players to pick that can give your side a Geelong flavour.

A host of Cats talents and local exports loom as promising options for your team, headlined by a top-10 pick.

We rank the best of them.

GEELONG PLAYERS TO CONSIDER

1. Jhye Clark

$123,900 MID

Junior club: Queenscliff

Clark capped an impressive pre-season with an eye-catching display against Essendon. The highly touted youngster finished with 17 disposals at 94 per cent efficiency, 10 contested possessions, four clearances, four tackles – two of those holding the ball free kicks – and 86 SuperCoach points. At a bargain basement price of $123,900, the Queenscliff is great value as a midfield cash cow, especially with Cameron Guthrie sidelined for at least the first six rounds.

Jhye Clark during Geelong Cats training. Picture: Geelong Cats.

2. Tom Stewart

$635,300 DEF

Junior club: South Barwon

Don’t be too concerned by his score of 74 against Essendon from the pre-season. He received attention from Matt Guelfi in the first half and still managed to tally 11 disposals and kick a goal, before having his minutes managed in the second half. If you take out Stewart’s injury-affected score of 18 last season, the Cats interceptor was the top averaging defender in the game – ahead of Nick Daicos and James Sicily.

3. Oliver Dempsey

$148,800 FWD

Dempsey was arguably Geelong’s most impressive player across the pre-season games and he looks certain to line up against St Kilda in round one. The 21-year-old tallied 15 disposals, six marks and a goal in a lively display as a high-half forward, backing up his promising showing the week before against Carlton. Dempsey averaged more than 100 points in the VFL last season and is another Geelong cheapie to consider.

4. Shaun Mannagh

$117,300 FWD-MID

SuperCoaches raved about Mannagh early in the pre-season but he only came on in the third quarter in both of Geelong’s practice matches. The 26-year-old showed plenty of spark when he did come on, though, scoring 44 points from eight disposals in just 27 per cent gametime. That has to put him in contention for a round one spot, but be wary that he could be the substitute.

5. Max Holmes

$446,000 MID

We can select Holmes as a midfielder, but it was off halfback where he turned heads on Friday night. Holmes was the top-ranked Cat on the ground with 108 SuperCoach points, 29 disposals and a goal. The Cats always looked for the explosive Holmes as he dashed out of defence, and he was also damaging when he was thrown into the midfield. In less than five per cent of teams, Holmes can set your team apart.

6. Toby Conway

$180,000 RUC

Junior club: St Mary’s

Conway wasn’t picked for Geelong’s official practice match against Essendon, but the gap has definitely closed between him and Rhys Stanley. This has been Conway’s first full pre-season after battling injury in his first two years at the Cats and there is plenty of optimism about his prospects for 2024. He shapes as a potential third ruck option if he get past Stanley.

Toby Conway is competing with Rhys Stanley for the No.1 ruck spot. Picture: Geelong Cats

7. Jeremy Cameron

$462,700 FWD

Cameron averaged a formidable 114.5 points in the first six games of last season, including 149 against Carlton against Hawthorn. He wasn’t quite the same player towards the end of the year after returning from his concussion in round 15 and his 82.8 season average includes that injury-affected score of -3. It means Cameron is a value option up forward, especially with St Kilda, Adelaide, Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs and Carlton in his first five games of the season.

TOP LOCAL GEELONG EXPORTS TO CONSIDER

1. Darcy Parish (Essendon)

$604,200 MID

Junior club: Winchelsea

The Winchelsea product was back in Geelong last Friday and absolutely dominated, racking up 34 disposals, 12 contested possession, six clearances, a goal and 123 SuperCoach points. He won’t come up against Geelong’s midfield every week, but there has been buzz about the ball-magnet’s pre-season and his disposal looked very clean against the Cats. Should be in more than five per cent of teams.

Darcy Parish is a promising point-of-difference option. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

2. Sam Walsh (Carlton)

$576,800 MID

Junior club: St Joseph’s

Walsh would be a much more popular SuperCoach option if it weren’t for back flaring up again this pre-season, putting him in doubt for Carlton’s season opener. Fortunately, opening round isn’t counted in SuperCoach so we only need Walsh to be available for round one. The St Joseph’s export averaged 103.2 points per game during the home-and-away season but posted scores of 111, 134 and 121 during a stunning finals series. Be mindful that Carlton has the bye in round two, so you may better off bringing Walsh in after that rather than starting him.

Sam Walsh is in doubt for round one. Picture: David Crosling

3. Charlie Lazzaro (North Melbourne)

$181,100 FWD-MID

Junior club: St Mary’s

Lazzaro is pushing for a spot in North Melbourne’s midfield after a strong pre-season. His final game of last season showcased his scoring potential as an on-baller, winning 26 disposals and five clearances on his way to 87 SuperCoach points. One for the St Mary’s faithful in particular to bring into their midfield or forward line if he gets a start in round one.

4. Sean Darcy (Fremantle)

Junior club: Cobden

The Geelong Falcons graduate has been largely overlooked by SuperCoaches given he is sharing the ruck duties with Luke Jackson, but he still managed to average 105 points per game last year with Jackson in the side. That includes an injury-affected score of 39 in round 11. Darcy has a promising early run, facing Oscar McInerney, Tristan Xerri, Reilly O’Brien and Marc Pittonet/Tom De Koning in the first four rounds and doesn’t have a bye until round 13 – unlike Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy who miss a game in the first six rounds of SuperCoach.

5. Taylor Adams (Sydney)

$437,200 FWD-MID

Junior club: St Joseph’s

Adams would be much further up this list if it weren’t for a lateral ligament strain he suffered in Sydney’s final practice game, which will sideline him for 3-4 weeks. But the St Joseph’s export will receive more midfield time at the Swans than he did at Collingwood, winning seven clearances in 50 per cent gametime before his injury against Brisbane. With the forward line looking weak in SuperCoach this year, he shapes as an attractive option after Sydney’s round five bye.

6. Charlie Curnow (Carlton)

$545,300 FWD

Junior club: Torquay

Key forwards are generally a no-go in SuperCoach but on last year’s numbers, Curnow enters the season as the third most expensive forward after his Coleman Medal winning season. The powerful key forward kicked 78 home-and-away goals last year and averaged 97.6 points, behind only Jack Macrae and Luke Jackson. The big thing in Curnow’s favour is his massive ceiling, posting whopping totals of 178 and 186 against West Coast last year. But be prepared to ride his poorer scores.

7. Alex Witherden (West Coast)

$472,300 DEF

Junior club: St Joseph’s

Witherden generally takes the kick-ins at West Coast which means bonus points in SuperCoach. The ball will likely be in West Coast’s defensive half more often than not this year and with Shannon Hurn retiring, Witherden should be the Eagles’ main backline distributor. Probably more of a pick for SuperCoach Draft.

8. James Worpel (Hawthorn)

$502,700 MID

Junior club: Bell Park

With Will Day missing round one and possibly more, Worpel will have more midfield responsibility on his shoulders. He attended the third-most centre bounces of any Hawthorn midfielder against the Western Bulldogs in their practice match but managed just 16 touches and 54 points. Worpel had a career best season last year but his disposal efficiency holds him back from being in the SuperCoach elite. But he could go up another gear again in 2024.

Originally published as Top SuperCoach picks from Cats and Geelong region ranked in order