SuperCoach AFL 2024: Selection news and late mail for round 6
Boom youngster Colby McKercher has been cleared of rib damage – is he a trade or hold in SuperCoach? Plus all the injury news and selection whispers you need to know.
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North Melbourne young gun Colby McKercher has been cleared to play this weekend, news that creates something of a dilemma for more than 112,000 SuperCoaches.
McKercher was one of this year’s brightest rookie prospects before being crunched by Geelong star Jeremy Cameron.
McKercher was subbed out of the game and sent to hospital, but scans cleared him of serious damage.
“McKercher will bridge back into full-contact training later in the week and be available for selection,” North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White told the club website this week.
“Colby sustained strong contact to the sternum on the weekend and was in discomfort,
“A conservative approach was taken, and he was brought to the hospital for scans/X-Ray which revealed no significant damage.”
That’s good news for selection but it means McKercher is facing an almost certain price drop, with a Break Even of 101 required to maintain his current value.
The other complication is that after being used across half-back in the opening three rounds – when he scored 88, 95 and 74 points – McKercher has been thrown into the centre square by coach Alastair Clarkson. That resulted in a score of 54 against Brisbane in round 4, and he had just one disposal when he was hurt against Geelong.
At time of writing more than 43,000 coaches have traded McKercher out of their teams. The most popular replacements are Gold Coast rookies Will Graham and Sam Clohesy, with some coaches finding the cash to swap him for Jack Steele or Isaac Heeney.
More than 5000 have traded him to Kangaroos teammate Charlie Comben, while another Roo, Bigoa Nyuon, is coming into just over 2000 teams.
Nyuon played his first game for the Roos last round and scored 89 points as a key defender.
He was a late replacement for Kallan Dawson who rolled his ankle at training.
He is listed as 2-3 weeks away on the North Melbourne injury list.
Bevo up to old tricks
Luke Beveridge is keeping us guessing on his plans for key SuperCoach players against St Kilda on Thursday night.
The Dogs threw a curve ball at selection by including Rory Lobb, who will play alongside talls Tim English and Sam Darcy.
Beveridge said this week several players were learning new roles: “You’re seeing some change, within that inside mid area and even the ruck area, with Sam Darcy playing a bit more ruck and Tim English playing a bit more forward, we’re trying to get the most out of our group to win games of footy.”
The Dogs also added James Harmes and Riley Garcia to Thursday night’s team. Both were named on a five-man bench alongside Bailey Dale, Lachie Bramble and Ryley Sanders.
The starting sub is likely to come from that group, which includes Sanders, who was subbed out last week for the second time this season.
Beveridge this week described the decision as “a steep learning curve for Sando”.
“He’s going to be such an important player for the football club and he’s learning all the time.
“Part of that is understanding that from time to time he may be that guy who comes off the ground, so we’ll work through it with him.”
Teams whispers
In other injury and selection news...
CONOR McKenna is available for selection for Brisbane after missing three matches with a hamstring injury. But dynamic forward Zac Bailey will miss 4-6 weeks with an ankle injury.
Both developments could impact the role of veteran Dayne Zorko, who has been playing at half-back and averaging 104.3 points a game, the sixth-best average for SuperCoach forwards.
CARLTON will have to cover hamstring injuries to Adam Saad (six weeks), Adam Cerra (1-2 weeks) and Mitch McGovern (1-2 weeks). They could help Jack Carroll keep his place in the side after he was subbed out last week.
SEAN Darcy just missed the cut for Fremantle’s clash against Port Adelaide last week and is expected to finally return from a knee injury for Saturday night’s Derby.
Justin Longmuir has confirmed Sean Darcy will play this week, but Luke Jackson will still take a large part of the ruck load as Darcy builds fitness. #SuperCoach
— patch (@PatchToTheMax) April 18, 2024
PATRICK Dangerfield, Tom Hawkins and Jake Kolodjashnij are all available for Geelong this week. That’s not great news for SuperCoach rookies Jhye Clark and Sean Mannagh.
HAWTHORN ruckman Ned Reeves is in concussion protocols after an incident in the VFL last week, strengthening Lloyd Meek’s hold on the senior ruck role.
ZACH Reid is still 2-3 weeks away on Essendon injury list.
SWANS champ Luke Parker is at least another week away from resuming full training.
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Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Selection news and late mail for round 6
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