KFC SuperCoach Hall of Fame: Which SuperCoach favourites should progress to the Round of 16?
They are both KFC SuperCoach superstars, but only one can go through to the Round of 16. Who will you vote for, Pendles or Danger? It’s currently neck-and-neck. Have your say on all 16 matchups.
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We are one leg down and already the KFC SuperCoach Hall of Fame race is taking shape.
While it was sad to say goodbye to many of SuperCoach stalwarts from years gone by, the community have made their voices heard loud and clear with thousands of votes flooding in.
Now we are tasked with bringing the 32 winners from the first round down to 16.
Who do you believe deserves SuperCoach legend status?
VOTE ON THE 16 MATCH-UPS BELOW
ABLETT v MZUNGU
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 SupeCoach double-tons 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.
Tendai Mzungu (Freo/GWS)
Games played (2008-2020): 106, Average: 76, High score: 130, Highest season average: 81 (2011)
Speaking of favourites, Mzungu almost became a cult hero in his first year the Dockers. The pre-listed Sun, who was traded to Fremantle missed the first eight rounds with a knee injury but it was worth the wait. After scoring 14 points on debut as the substitute in Round 9, Mzungu, who started the year as a $110k mid-fwd, averaged 85 points in the next 13 matches and his 114-point performance in the final round helped the 2011 SuperCoach winner, Jay To, claim the $50,000 major prize.
MITCHELL v PALMER
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.
Rhys Palmer (Freo/GWS/Carl)
Games played (2008-2020): 123, Average: 72, High score: 144, Highest season average 87 (2008)
Palmer’s debut season as an 18-year-old in 2008 was one of the best the competition has seen. The No. 7 pick from the 2007 draft played 20 games in his first year and averaged 23 disposals and 87 SuperCoach points. Palmer posted seven SuperCoach tons – including a 145-point performance against the Saints – on his way to winning the 2008 Rising Star award.
KENNEDY v BARLOW
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.
Michael Barlow (Freo/GC)
Games played (2008-2020): 141, Average: 100, HS: 168, Highest season average: 116 (2010)
There’s been some outstanding debut seasons in the competition’s recent history – a few have been mentioned here. But then there’s Michael Barlow in 2010. After being plucked from the VFL by the Dockers, Barlow debuted in Round 1 against the Crows, finishing with 33 disposals, two goals and a game-high 151 points. A week later, he had 34 disposals and 139 points. In the next 10 matches before breaking his leg in Round 14, Barlow posted seven SuperCoach tons, four of them in excess of 130. The ball-magnet bounced back from the injury to average 110 and 112 in 2013 and 2014 respectively but he couldn’t replicated the 116-point mark he set in his debut year. In fact, no one has.
ROCKLIFF v JUDD
Tom Rockliff (Bris/Port)
Games played (2008-2020): 191, Average: 101, High score: 204, Highest season average: 132 (2014)
The 191-game Port Adelaide midfielder is another who was a SuperCoach star from the get-go. After one appearance in 2009, Rockliff exploded onto the scene in his sophomore year, posting six SuperCoach tons and averaging 86 points per game. And it was just the start, with the tough ball-winner averaging 113 points the following year and a huge 132 points, on the back seven scores of 150 or more, in 2014.
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.
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SWAN v WALSH
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.
Sam Walsh (Carlton)
Games played (2008-2020): 23, Average: 85, HS: 141, Highest season average: 87 (2019)
The 2019 Rising Star winner disproved the conventional KFC SuperCoach wisdom about avoiding top-dollar rookies. Walsh started last season at $207,300, peaked at $452,600 and lived up to his price tag with six hundreds in his debut campaign. He’d made $140,000 by Round 5 after amassing three successive tons between rounds three and five.
PENDLEBURY v DANGERFIELD
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.
Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide/Geelong)
Games played (2008-2020): 249, Average: 107, HS: 229, Highest season average: 134 (2017)
For all the heartache he’s given SuperCoaches (think Charlie Constable), Chris Scott deploying Patrick Dangerfeld as a forward provided one of the great gifts. Having one of the top point scorers in KFC SuperCoach history available as MID-FWD last season was a huge bonus. Dangerfield’s 2017 campaign — when he averaged 134 — remains one of the best on record. He also averaged 131 in 2016 as he established himself as one of the game’s premier midfielders.
GRUNDY v MCINTOSH
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.
Hamish McIntosh (North Melbourne/Geelong)
Games played (2008-2020): 83, Average: 81, HS: 153, Highest season average: 103 (2012)
During a career punctuated by injury, McIntosh regularly presented a mid-priced ruck option. The former Roo and Cat averaged 103 in the first seven rounds of 2012, making more than $140,000, only to miss the rest of the season. His best average during a full campaign was 91.6 in 2009.
COX v OLANGO
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.
Tony Olango (West Coast)
Games played (2008-2020): 0, Average: 0, HS: 0, Highest season average: 0
Tony who, you say? The rookie ruck was a bargain-basement KFC SuperCoach rookie in 2018 and presented coaches with a perfect loophole option. His value came from being able to gain double points from early-round scores from big guns such as Grundy. Sadly, Olango was delisted after one season. Gone from the AFL, but certainly not forgotten.
GODDARD v DOEDEE
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.
Tom Doedee (ADEL)
Games played (2008-2020): 21, Average: 81, High score: 120, Highest season average 82 (2018)
Doedee became a rookie marvel from the get-go, registering scores of 86, 115, 85, 57, 100 and 83 in his first six matches. This sent his price skyward, but some coaches opted to keep him due to his reliable on-field scoring, finishing the year with a solid average of 81 points.
LLOYD v ENRIGHT
JAKE LLOYD (SYD)
Games played (2008-2020): 138, Average: 87, High score: 173, Highest season average 111 (2018)
Jake Lloyd has been the highest scoring defender over the past two seasons, recording averages of 111 (2018) and 108.9 (2019). Racks up disposals at will in defence and his kick-ins give owners an added bonus each game.
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.
BARTEL v SHAW
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.
Heath Shaw (COLL/GWS)
Games played (2008-2020): 256, Average: 95, High score: 200, Highest season average 113 (2015)
From 2008-2016, Shaw averaged above 90 SuperCoach points in every home-and-away season, four times passing the 100-mark. His career-high average of 112.6 in 2015 was his best return, and who could forget his 200-point display in 2006, coming from 38 disposals (at 97 per cent efficiency), 36 kicks and 14 marks.
HODGE v BROUGHTON
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.
Greg Broughton (FREM/GCS)
Games played (2008-2020): 110, Average: 84, High score: 159, Highest season average 98 (2009, 2010)
The mature-age recruit brought tons for all in his debut season. After a solid first four games, Broughton posted five 119-plus totals in his next five games – including two 150-plus scores – averaging 98 points for the season. He then averaged 98 and 92 across the next two seasons before his SuperCoach trajectory went downhill.
RICH v CHAPMAN
DANIEL RICH (BRIS)
Games played (2008-2020): 208, Average: 86, High score: 147, Highest season average 97 (2019)
There have been three distinct phases to Rich’s SuperCoach career. The first was as a star rookie when he played 22 games in his debut season, averaged 86 points and rose in value from $144k to more than $450k. Then he settled into a long period of teasing us with his premium potential, topping a 90-point average twice (2012 and 2017) before finally breaking out in 2019, when he finished as the equal-third ranked defender on total points (97 average).
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.
MARTIN v ZORKO
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?
DAYNE ZORKO (BRIS)
Games played (2008-2020): 169, Average: 100, High score: 196, Highest season average 109 (2016)
Zorko has been a genuine premium for most of the past six years - even after a bizarrely terrible start to the 2018 season when he scored under 50 twice in the first six rounds he roared home to average 96 for the year. But his place in SuperCoach folklore was secured when he exploded on the AFL scene in 2012. After a quiet debut game in Round 7 (eight disposals and 16 SuperCoach points) he cracked the ton in game two and never looked back, his price skyrocketing from $113,200 to over $500,000 as he recorded another eight 100-plus scores including a 163-point monster in Round 22.
RIEWOLDT v PODSIADLY
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 unders! 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.
JAMES PODSIADLY (GEEL/ADEL)
Games played (2008-2020): 104, Average: 76, High score: 152, Highest season average 187 (2010)
One of the all-time great SuperCoach buys. Plucked as a rookie in 2009 at age 28, ‘Pods’ had a starting price tag of just $83,400 (remember those days). He kick-started his career with a 102 on debut and jumped in value more than $300,000 in seven weeks, topping out at $492,900 in Round 13 — a return of $409,500 on a pre-Round 1 investment.
PAVLICH v HARVEY
MATTHEW PAVLICH (FREM)
Games played (2008-2020): 178, Average: 95, High score: 179, Highest season average 110 (2012)
A must-have in the early years of SuperCoach, Pav averaged at least 108 in the first four seasons of the fantasy comp and was still hitting 111 as late as 2012. He produced big scores at both ends of the ground and was also extremely durable, playing at least 19 games in all but two of his 12 SuperCoach seasons.
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.
ROUND 1 RESULTS
Gary Ablett 98% of the votes v Joel Selwood 2%
Liam Anthony 42% v Tendai Mzungu 58%
Tom Mitchell 76% v Sam Mitchell 24%
Bradd Dalziell 39% v Rhys Palmer 61%
Matt Priddis 27% v Josh P. Kennedy 73%
Michel Barlow 77% v Tim Kelly 23%
Tom Rockliff 87% v Scott Thompson 13%
Chris Judd 68% v Leigh Montaga 32%
Dane Swan 70% v Patrick Cripps 30%
Sam Walsh 55% v Jaeger O’Meara 45%
Nat Fyfe 34% v Scott Pendlebury 68%
Patrick Dangerfield 86% v Jack Macrae 14%
Brodie Grundy 81% v Max Gawn 19%
Jon Giles 39% v Hamish McIntosh 61%
Dean Cox 91% v Aaron Sandilands 9%
Tony Olango 57% v Patrick Bines 43%
Brendon Goddard 95% v Sam Fisher 5%
Tom Doedee 73% v Marcus Adams 27%
Joel Bowden 44% v Jake Lloyd 56%
Corey Enight 65% v Rory Laird 65%
Jimmy Bartel 78% v Matthew Boyd 22%
Heath Shaw 90% v Heath Scotland 10%
Luke Hodge 66% v Sam Docherty 34%
Greg Broughton 91% v Dean Terlich 9%
Brett Goodes 23% v Daniel Rich 77%
Steve Johnson 30% v Paul Chapman 70%
Brett Deledio 36% v Dustin Martin 64%
Dayne Zorko 91% v Sam Menegola 9%
Lance Franklin 42% v Nick Riewoldt 58%
James Podsiadly 84% v Sam Kerridge 16%
Matthew Pavlich 72% v Jonathan Brown 28%
Brent Harvey 61% v Ryan O’Keefe 39%
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach Hall of Fame: Which SuperCoach favourites should progress to the Round of 16?
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