SuperCoach 2017 jury: Expert verdict on Gary Ablett, Jaeger O’Meara, Jobe Watson and more
IS JAEGER O’Meara the SuperCoach bargain of the year? Should we pick Gary Ablett ... and what about Jobe Watson? Experts have the final word on 10 big names.
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WILL you pick SuperCoach master Gary Ablett this year?
Is Jaeger O’Meara the bargain of the season or a disaster waiting to happen?
Can Max Gawn repeat his 2016 heroics and is this the year to pick an old-fashioned full-forward like Eagle Josh Kennedy?
These are just some of the questions facing thousands of SuperCoach players approaching the 2017 season.
Fortunately, the experts are here to help — although they don’t all agree. Here is their verdict on 10 big names in the first instalment of the 2017 SuperCoach jury. Stay tuned for more in the lead-up to Round 1.
GARY ABLETT $620,000 mid
Jay Clark (@ClarkyHeraldSun): Like other premiums more, largely due to Ablett’s shoulder trouble. Forward role intrigues.
Al Paton (@al_superfooty): Can’t remember picking a team without him, in fact it may never have happened. If he’s walking on two legs for Round 1, he’s in again. I still believe, Gary.
Ben Higgins (@ben_higgins84): It’s hard to ignore the little master. It’s a no at this stage but I’ll be watching him closely in the pre-season. At $620k you could have Kennedy, Hannebery, Selwood or Rockliff and save money.
Gilbert Gardiner (@gilbertgardiner): As much as I’d like to see Gaz wind back the clock and punch out a vintage season, I can’t take his hefty price tag. Just hasn’t played enough footy to justify selection.
Daniel Begala (@danbegala): It pains me to say this, but the little master may have lost his aura in SuperCoach, with his past two seasons cruelled by injury. Never doubt a champion, but with Rocket all but stamping his intentions to play Ablett as a forward, I’ll steer clear.
Jock Reynolds (@jock_reynolds): Gary. I love you son. but you’ll need more than a full preseason for me to select you in my starting team son. You’ll need to look me square in the eye and convince me you still have a passion for the game. Won’t start you. If you look fair dinkum early I’ll look to inject you into JR Brumby straight after your round 9 bye.
JAEGER O’MEARA $318,900 mid
Jay Clark: More of a trade-in target, if in fact his knees aren’t stitched together with sticky tape.
Al Paton: The knee is an obvious red flag but this guy averaged 90 and 98 in his only two seasons. His price tag is a Brad Crouch-sized problem — if he falls over, where do you go? — but very positive reports from the Hawks’ intra-club mean I can’t completely cross him out.
Ben Higgins: Little bit of chat about O’Meara’s price when SuperCoach launched back in December. Despite him stepping out in Hawthorn’s intra-club match, $318k is too much for my tastes.
Gilbert Gardiner: Certainly on the watch list but won’t be selecting Jaeger any time soon. Will need to see him string together 2-4 games before pulling the trade trigger.
Daniel Begala: Like the Hawthorn medical staff, he’ll need to tick a long list of boxes before he secures a gig in The Begala Brigade. If his pre-season is seamless and he escapes unscathed, Jaeger’s in.
Peter Higginbotham (@PeterHiggo): I have very little confidence in Jaeger given his extremely limited pre-season training regimen and troublesome knee. It is not likely we will see him selected in Hawthorn’s Round 1 team. In any event, a decisive no.
SCOTT PENDLEBURY $645,700 mid
Jay Clark: The most consistent force in football. Fitness as good as ever. A staple in my side.
Al Paton: Yes. Pick Danger and Pendles and figure out how to spend $8.6 million on 28 players.
Ben Higgins: Can we consider Pendlebury underrated? Is consistently in the top three scorers at seasons’ end but rarely get the hype. Lock him in, sit back and enjoy.
Gilbert Gardiner: Absolutely. A more consistent player you will not find. Bugger the price, Pendles is worth every cent.
Daniel Begala: He’s locked in and I’ve already misplaced the key. They call him the Rolls Royce and for good reason. Pendlebury is the classiest and most consistent midfielder in the AFL.
Jock Reynolds: Just whack this majestic human being into your starting team and be done with it. Has averaged almost 122 over the past four seasons, is reliable as buggery and not slowing down. About the only thing that could go wrong here is Nathan Buckley — don’t stuff with his role please Nathan.
JOSH P KENNEDY $617,100 mid
Jay Clark: I’m taking Bontempelli instead. But JPK is a set-and-forget star.
Al Paton: Can’t think of a good reason not to pick him except he just doesn’t fit in my midfield with Danger, Pendles, Ablett and Fyfe. Will almost certainly be a fantastic pick again.
Ben Higgins: A SuperCoach favourite simply for his consistency. Plug him in and you’ll know he’ll deliver three figures. He’s dipped under 90 just five times in the past two years.
Gilbert Gardiner: Happy to risk early in the season and look to get him in around the byes or later as a genuine 100-plus threat at the business end of the season.
Daniel Begala: JPK was always a jet, but on Grand Final Day he became a hero. He’s the modern midfield prototype, dominates the contested facet of the game and I expect him to thrive as captain of the Bloods.
Jock Reynolds: My only knock on the bloke is his tendency to splutter his way into a season at times. Last year he hit the SuperCoach ton in only two of his first six games. A beautiful contested beast. Good mates with his old man. I’ll grab him at a discount at some stage.
JOSH J KENNEDY $532,200 fwd
Jay Clark: Nah. Not a big fan of picking key forwards. Prefer your Luke Dahlhaus types with dual-position at that price.
Al Paton: Easy to write off full-forwards but this year we don’t have the fwd/mids of recent times to pick from and the option of putting the VC on JJK against Brisbane and Carlton is tempting. He averaged 98 last year. Will consider.
Ben Higgins: I like roller-coasters as much as the next guy but not in SuperCoach. Kennedy can score 180 one week and 40 the next. I can’t take the stress.
Gilbert Gardiner: As a rule, don’t like key forwards in SuperCoach but if you’re willing to take a punt on Buddy Franklin then why not spend a bit extra to get this ultra-consistent Eagle. Gets a ton of supply.
Daniel Begala: The reigning Coleman medallist is a star of the game and will boot 75 goals, but unless Hell freezes over, he will not feature in my team given my hesitance towards key-position players.
Peter Higginbotham: The second most prolific 2017 forward option based on 2016 form. As such it would be irresponsible not to consider Joshua despite the inherent peril presented by key-position forwards. Expect the thrill of a considerable score to be offset by exasperation at considerable low scores. Not for me.
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HEATH SHAW $576,500 def
Jay Clark: Going to get a lot of easy pill but taggers take edge off my enthusiasm. Probably not.
Al Paton: Hard to leave out a guy who has averaged 90 or more 11 years in a row and places hilarious ads on Airtasker. But are forward taggers making a comeback?
Ben Higgins: My No. 1 starting defender this year. Has found his consistency in Sydney and can rack up huge scores with the best of them.
Gilbert Gardiner: Has enough runs on the board to earn selection again this year despite an emerging Blue (see below) threatening to take the mantle as the best attacking defender in the business.
Daniel Begala: He’s the architect of the GWS backline and normally frolics around unopposed as the loose man in defence. The Giants are bitter; they let one slip and I expect Shaw to lead the charge in 2017 and remain a key linchpin of my side.
Jock Reynolds: Mark my words, folks — Shaw will be targeted like never before in 2017. Averaged just 89.4 in the last 10 games he played in 2016 after opposition teams started to whack a hard tag on him. Stop Shaw, make him angry and watch the impact it has on his young GWS teammates. Great to watch. Not starting him.
SAM DOCHERTY $591,600 def
Jay Clark: Reckon the ball will spend a lot of time in Blues’ backline which makes Docherty very appealing. In his prime and consistent.
Al Paton: Was amazing last year but it remains the only 100-plus season of his career. Would like to see him back it up before forking out nearly $600k.
Ben Higgins: Can he replicate his outstanding 2016? Maybe. Surely teams sit on him this year. Can’t believe I’m about to say this, I reckon Heath Shaw will be more reliable.
Gilbert Gardiner: A definite upgrade target, barring serious injury and the like, but too pricey to have in calculations for Round 1. Suspect by SuperCoach 2018 Docherty will replace Heath Shaw as the No. 1 picked defender.
Daniel Begala: Slightly overpriced, but what can you expect given his scoring in 2016? Would prefer to allocate my salary cap elsewhere, but at this stage, it’s a coin toss between him and Shaw for D1. Gun.
Peter Higginbotham: How does the departure of Zach Tuohy and the inclusion of Caleb Marchbank change the Carlton defensive dynamic? While I am rather confident that Sam Docherty will finish the 2017 season as one of the top three scoring defenders, I am also confident that he will endure a reasonable reduction in price. I will leave Sam Docherty out of my starting team with a view to purchasing him at reduced cost around the bye period.
ANDY McGRATH $211,800 def
Jay Clark: No. Think he will start in the twos. And too hexy.
Al Paton: Paying $200k-plus for a teenager who has never played a game is normally a no-no but his under-18 numbers were ridiculous and he plays a very nice role for SuperCoach — think Callum Mills last year. In my team for now, will watch his JLT series closely.
Ben Higgins: I was happy to pay the price for Jacob Weitering last year, but I think there are better options in 2017. Namely Matt Scharenberg, Luke Ryan and others.
Gilbert Gardiner: Hard to pick without any exposed form. Will be watching closely during the JLT Community Series but as it stands today, Matt Scharenberg is a lot better value despite his horror run with injuries.
Daniel Begala: McGrath’s expensive, but he’ll play Round 1 and be given every opportunity to rebound off the Essendon half-back line. He oozes class, has matchwinning pedigree and will more than likely earn a role in The Begala Brigade.
Jock Reynolds: Yes, the kid is bloody promising. However, forget the hype, forget how he went at TAC Cup level — this is a gigantic bloody step for any young kid. Woosha has come out and said he’ll be eased in. Regardless, you won’t make a hell of a lot of cash out of the kid this year and he won’t score enough to justify the inflated rookie price tag. We break rookie strategy down to within an inch of its life in the 2017 Jock Reynolds Fantasy Footy Magazine, you’ll steer clear after you have a gander.
JOBE WATSON $453,300 mid
Jay Clark: Marc Murphy and Dayne Beams ahead of Jobe but the Bombers’ barista is in ripping shape. In for big year.
Al Paton: Priced to average about 80 and he’ll beat that in a heartbeat. But will he play 22 games? Another victim of the midfield squeeze.
Ben Higgins: Thanks but no thanks. I understand the appeal but I’d prefer to spend the extra $60-70k for Dyson Heppell. Actually, Marc Murphy is cheaper if you can believe it.
Gilbert Gardiner: The SuperCoach definition of Arbitrage. Priced to score 80s but history shows Jobe in full flight is an 100-plus point threat every time he steps out on the ground. Beware the Bomber scorned.
Daniel Begala: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. The word out of Windy Hill is that Watson dominated in the recent intra-club, winding the clock back to his halcyon Brownlow form. If he scores north of 100 in two of the JLT matches, I’ll take the punt.
Peter Higginbotham: As pleased as I am to see Jobe return to football, I cannot justify the selection of Jobe Watson in any way, shape of form. Jobe is certain to spend a considerable amount of time playing in the forward line and is highly unlikely to re-establish himself as a top 10 SuperCoach midfielder in 2017. Not for me.
MAX GAWN $565,000 ruck
Jay Clark: A lock. Watch this bloke go bananas this year with new third-man up clampdown. Takes grabs, kicks goals, and knows he’s got most blokes covered.
Al Paton: Rucks have a history of producing one huge SuperCoach year then dropping back again (think Todd Goldstein last year) but I am shamelessly seduced by those 170-plus scores. Wish he played interstate every week.
Dean Cox (2007 into 2008) is the last ruckman to improve his #SuperCoach avg. the following season after ranking No.1. Will Gawn back up? pic.twitter.com/dFI6UvM35D
— Fantasy Freako (@FantasyFreako) February 9, 2017
Ben Higgins: Lock him in and throw away the key. Only a late injury could derail the Gawn train from being in Champagne Footy’s Round 1 line-up.
Gilbert Gardiner: Heart says Goldstein, head says Gawn. Grundy looks a beauty, while Stef Martin is underpriced. Risk v reward. Gawn-Goldstein is the BHP of blue chip ruck combinations.
Daniel Begala: The beard. The barista. The lock. Expect him to rival Dangerfield and Fyfe as the most prolific SuperCoach scorer in the game. He’s a walk-up start for The Begala Brigade and I expect him, like 2016, to shoulder captaincy duties when called upon.
Jock Reynolds: He’s been prancing around in the media like a bloke at the top of his game. I don’t like that. This time last year he was hungry like a snarling dog to become the No. 1 ruckman in the comp. His head was down, his bum was up. I’m concerned with the change in his pre-season attitude this year. However, the banning of third-man up will play in his favour making him bloody hard to overlook at R1. I’d like him to pull his head in a touch — but in my team at this stage.
Originally published as SuperCoach 2017 jury: Expert verdict on Gary Ablett, Jaeger O’Meara, Jobe Watson and more
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