Late mail: KFC SuperCoach news plus Doctor SuperCoach captain advice for Round 18
Lachie Neale is the No.1 scoring player in KFC SuperCoach this season, but there’s a good reason his owners should be nervous in Round 18. See all the big team news plus top captaincy picks.
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Lachie Neale has been one of the most prolific KFC SuperCoach scorers of 2020, but his owners have a good reason to be nervous ahead of his final home-and-away game.
Neale, who was held to just 55 points by Swans tagger Ryan Clarke last round, has a date with Carlton and Ed Curnow at the Gabba on Saturday night.
In Round 12 last season, the last time these teams met, Neale was on fire in the first half picking up 26 disposals and a goal before the main break. SuperCoach players were dreaming of a 200-plus score but what they didn’t know was Blues coach David Teague set Curnow a simple task in the rooms: stop Neale getting the footy.
SCROLL DOWN FOR BEST ROUND 18 CAPTAINCY OPTIONS
“He was on fire in the first half and it was a good opportunity. I love going on the best players, I see it as a real challenge,” Curnow said after restricting the Lions ball magnet to just six disposals in the second half — while collecting 14 himself.
Neale was averaging 147 points a game to Round 12 this season but has dropped off since then, averaging 105 in his past five. But that includes a 151 against Gold Coast.
We’re not saying he can’t do that against Carlton, but it might be a safe move to put the C someone else this week.
The Lions recalled a forgotten SuperCoach favourite at selection, with Stefan Martin back for his first game since Round 7.
After starting the year valued at $501,100, the former premium ruckman is now worth just $323,000 after averaging 46.4 in his five games early in the season.
Martin is in just 1 per cent of KFC SuperCoach teams but the move would be a concern for Oscar McInerney owners. “Big O” has been thriving as the No.1 ruckman in Martin’s absence but has been name in a forward pocket with the veteran leading the onball division.
In other ruck selection news, Essendon will give young big man Sam Draper a massive test to end the season when he takes on Max Gawn one-out on Saturday.
The Bombers dropped Andrew Phillips and couldn’t find room for a farewell game for Tom Bellchambers.
HOW TO MAKE MOST OF GWS ROOKIE CALL
Greater Western Sydney has recalled captain Stephen Coniglio after his shock axing, along with popular KFC SuperCoach rookie Jake Riccardi.
Coniglio was held by 28,000 patient coaches in Round 17 with relief coming from rookies Trent Rivers (112 points) and Harry Schoenberg (97).
The Giants ball winner should have plenty of fire in the belly in their must-win encounter with St Kilda on Friday night as a consequence of his shock demotion.
Forward Riccardi, owned by 37,000 teams, was managed for the Giants’ loss to Melbourne following a score of 28 in Round 16 and could prove to be a useful emergency loophole option.
Riccardi burst onto the scene with scores of 82 and 94 to begin his career with his high work rate and ability to hit the scoreboard standing out.
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If Riccardi is on your forward bench put the emergency on him and if he produces a big score on Friday night you have the option of moving a zero-scoring bench player on to the field and one of your regulars to the bench to take Riccardi’s score.
Players who employed the tactic on inconsistent Kangaroo Jy Simpkin were rewarded handsomely when he put up 144 points — his highest score of the season and his first over 120 since Round 6 — in the first game of Round 18.
HOW TO PICK A GRAND FINAL CAPTAIN
Selecting the best captaincy option each week is a crucial part of KFC SuperCoach, regardless if you’re playing for overall or for league.
With everything on the line in Round 18, nailing your captaincy choice for the final time of 2020 is extremely important.
The expert team at Doctor SuperCoach has done the grunt work and chosen the best vice-captain (VC) and captain (C) options for you this week, in the last instalment of Doctor’s Orders for 2020.
VC OPTIONS
Josh Kelly
Past three scores: 138, 74 (injury affected), 139
Past three scores vs St Kilda: 130, 108, 76
Kelly continues to be an enigma in the KFC SuperCoach world. Once again he has averaged extremely good numbers, but once again he has missed portions of the season through injury. But one thing we know Kelly can do is go big. The smooth-moving Giant went 130-plus four times last year and five the year before that, while in 2020 he has done it three times including a whopping 195 in Round 8. His record may not be outstanding against the Saints, but his form is excellent of late with two 130-plus scores and 74 points in a half of football before leaving the field with a head knock.
Max Gawn
Past three scores: 150, 132, 150
Past three scores vs Essendon: 126, 168, 85
What a season Gawn has produced. He boasts the highest average in the competition and has been a bankable captain option for coaches throughout the year, and there is no reason why he can’t do it again one last time. The Dees take on the Bombers in the classic 2.10pm timeslot on a Saturday afternoon. Gawn will meet talented, but still raw, ruckman Sam Draper. Gawn has been in outstanding form with four 130-plus scores from his past four outings and he looks an ideal VC option given the early timeslot and his competition.
Christian Petracca
Past three scores: 114, 140, 53
Past three scores vs Essendon: 76, 95
Here is another option for the first game on Saturday and it’s another man who has enjoyed a stellar season for the Demons. A case could be made for him or his teammate Clayton Oliver, but we’ll hone in on Petracca who has a slightly better recent run of form.
Interestingly, in Petracca’s 101 games he has only met the Bombers twice, but given his change in position and consequential breakout season, previous scoring history means nothing. What does mean plenty is his ability to have a huge influence over matches, with five 130-plus scores this season, including two 160s. Often overlooked as a captaincy choice due to his forward status, it is time to consider him for the VC.
CAPTAIN OPTIONS
Lachie Neale
Past three scores: 55, 151, 113
Past three scores vs Carlton: 106, 134, 159
Well, didn’t Neale let a few down last week. The Brownlow Medal favourite has been so reliable this season, but in the KFC SuperCoach preliminary final week, with the masses relying on another three-figure contribution from the ball magnet, he delivered just 55 points as the Swans clamped his influence. Nonetheless, champions don’t stay down for long and Neale will be stewing on last round’s effort and will be eager to respond. Neale enjoys a great record against Carlton, averaging 133.3 from his past four encounters, but will coaches have the trust to go with Neale one last time? Expect an Ed Curnow tag to limit his potential upside as well.
Patrick Dangerfield
Past three scores: 66, 139, 132
Past three scores vs Sydney: 99, 130, 104
Dangerfield is always in the captaincy conversation and we have seen another outstanding season from the Cats’ superstar. One of the reasons he has been such a feature in captaincy talks is his ability to go huge, but it seems he has lost that extra gear ever so slightly in 2020. Dangerfield does have two 140-plus scores to his name and another two 130-plus, so let’s make sure that is noted, however, in 2019 we saw seven scores of 145-plus while in 2018 he surged beyond that three times including a 187 and 160. This year he has just one 145-plus score. Maybe we’re just being greedy here, but it is worth noting and perhaps it’s an obvious by-product to his lowest average since 2014. Just as Neale copped the Ryan Clarke tag last week, expect Danger if playing midfield to cop similar attention.
Jake Lloyd
Past three scores: 119, 114, 143
Past three scores vs Geelong: 88, 123, 141
Lloyd has put together one of the all-time great KFC SuperCoach seasons as a defender. With just one score, in Round 1, below 100 points, there is no one else that you can have more faith in to score 100-plus points than him. With strong current form, in combination with good past history against the Cats, Lloyd is unlikely to let you down when you need him the most.
Jack Macrae
Past three scores: 102, 96, 117
Past three scores vs Fremantle: 153, 85, 98
Macrae is as safe a bet as there is. He was on absolute fire in the middle stages of the year, averaging 143.3 from Rounds 6-13, but his past three games have yielded an average of 105 with no 120-plus scores. Nonetheless, if your vice-captain option does not produce and you are fearful of another Lachie Neale-like score as some suffered last week, Macrae is your answer. He is as consistent as anyone in the competition and while you may not get a monster score, although he is capable, he will give you a considerable contribution. In fact, the last time he had a stinker and went under 80 was Round 18, 2018. Marcus Bontempelli may be the Bulldog to captain if you’re chasing a high score.
Brodie Grundy
Past three scores: 105, 104, 127
Past three scores vs Port Adelaide: 108, 162, 93
Grundy has been a touch out of sorts this season. That sounds a bit harsh when referencing a man who has averaged 121.6 for the year, and only dropped below 100 twice. However, in his past five games he has been averaging around 113. Nonetheless, he is always a possibility for a mammoth score, particularly up against a Port Adelaide ruck duo that is not known for winning ruck duals but will likely try to curb his influence around the ground. Can Grundy rediscover some of that early season form? It would take guts to whack the C on him, but we know he is capable.
Top Vice-Captain Options
1. Max Gawn
2. Christian Petracca
3. Josh Kelly
Top Captain Options
1. Jake Lloyd
2. Lachie Neale (beware the Curnow tag!)
3. Jack Macrae
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